vellum

V4E1L1L1U1M3
/ˈvɛləm/

noun

A type of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf.

OriginOld French velin ← Latin vitulinus →
Less commonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounvellum (countable and uncountable, plural vellums)

plural vellums

  1. countableuncountableA type of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf.

    The metaphor is apt, imagining one's spiritual life as a poem, an authored thing, and not preserved on vellum either, but open to revision.

    2025 May 31, Tanjil Rashid, “Finding their religion”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 9
    2 more examples

    Little, however, of the wall was seen, for it was nearly hidden by the arched book-cases; and the ponderous tomes, mostly bound in black or white vellum, long since grown dingy with age, contrasted forcibly with the gayer ornaments of their habitation.

    1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, pages 113–114

    From this list are purposely omitted books printed upon vellum, Books of Hours of the Virgin Mary, and illuminated books; for these are rarities within reach of the wealthy only.

    1922, P. B. M. Allan, chapter VIII, in The Book-Hunter at Home, 2nd edition, London: Philip Allan & Co., page 203
  2. countableuncountableA writing paper of very high quality.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
parchment

Origin

  1. Latinvitulinus“of a calf”
  2. Old Frenchvelin
  3. Englishvellum

From Old French velin (French vélin), from Latin vitulinus (“of a calf”), as if derived from Old French veel (“veal”).

More words from Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian перга́мент
  • перга́мент (pergáment)type of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
Chinese Mandarin 上等犊皮纸
  • 上等犊皮纸type of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
Esperanto veleno
  • velenotype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
Finnish pergamentti, veliini
  • pergamenttitype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
  • veliinitype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
  • silopaperiwriting paper of very high quality
French vélin, vélin
  • vélintype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
  • vélinwriting paper of very high quality
German Pergement, Velin
  • Pergementwriting paper of very high quality
  • Velinwriting paper of very high quality
Irish párpháipéar, párpháipéar
  • párpháipéartype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
  • párpháipéarwriting paper of very high quality
Italian pergamena, cartapecora
  • pergamenatype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
  • cartapecoratype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
  • membranatype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
  • vellotype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
Japanese 上質皮紙, ベラム
  • 上質皮紙 (jōshitsuhishi)type of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
  • ベラム (beramu)type of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
  • ベラム紙 (beramushi)writing paper of very high quality
  • ベラム (beramu)writing paper of very high quality
Polish welin, welin
  • welintype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
  • welinwriting paper of very high quality
Portuguese velino
  • velinotype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
Russian перга́мент, веле́нь
  • перга́мент (pergáment)type of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
  • веле́нь (velénʹ)type of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
Spanish vitela
  • vitelatype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
Swedish veläng
  • velängwriting paper of very high quality
Turkish tirşe, tirşe taklidi kağıt
  • tirşetype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
  • tirşe taklidi kağıttype of parchment paper made from the skin of a lamb, baby goat, or calf
  • parşömenwriting paper of very high quality
  • parşömen kağıdıwriting paper of very high quality

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with vellum

cerebellumantebellumflagellumscutellumAbelamarchicerebellumcapitellumcerebrocerebellumclitellumflabellumhaustellumlabellumneocerebellumpaleocerebellumpostbellumrostellumskellumspinocerebellumstatus quo ante bellumvestibulocerebellum
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

vellum. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vellum

MLA

“vellum.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vellum. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vellum,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vellum.

Source: vellum on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.