veronica
/vəˈɹɒnɪkə/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms veronicas veronicaing veronicaed
- noun (Roman Catholicism) The image of Jesus's face believed to have been made on the cloth with which St Veronica wiped his face as he went to be crucified; or the cloth used for this.
- noun (bullfighting) A circular swinging movement of the cape, used to avoid the bull.
- noun (botany) A flower of the genus Veronica, usually having blue petals.
- verb To draw a muleta over and away from a bull's face in bullfighting.
- proper noun A female given name from Ancient Greek.
- proper noun A surname from Spanish.
Synonyms
Etymology
Named after Saint Veronica.
From the Latin form of Berenice, from Ancient Greek Φερενίκη (Phereníkē). Influenced by the Church Latin phrase vera icon ("true image") associated with the veil of Saint Veronica, who wiped the face of Jesus on the way to Calvary, resulting in an image of his face miraculously appearing on the veil. Doublet of Berenice.
Borrowed from Spanish Verónica.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A portrait or representation of the face of our Savior on the alleged handkerchief of Saint Veronica, preserved at Rome; hence, a representation of this portrait, or any similar representation of the face of the Savior. Formerly called also Vernacle, and Vernicle.
- noun A genus scrophulariaceous plants; the speedwell. See Speedwell.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “veronica”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details