v. [UN-2 4 and 4 b.]
1. trans. To free (the eyes, etc.) from a veil so as to give clearer sight. Also in fig. context.
1599. Warn. Faire Wom., II. 872. Now she unvailes their sight, and lets them see The horror of their foule immanity.
1650. Hubbert, Pill Formality, 109–10. Hereby the understanding is unvailed, it now brought to new discoveries.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. II. 1085. Truth no more unvail’d your Eyes, Than Maggots are convinc’d to Flies.
2. To disclose, display, allow to appear, by removing a veil or covering.
1657. Thornley, trans. Longus’ Daphnis & Chloe, 43. Daphnis … could not be merry, because he had seen … her beauty which before was not unvailed.
1692. Dryden, Don Sebastian, I. i. Unveil the Woman; I wou’d view the Face That warm’d our Mufti’s Zeal.
1754. Gray, Progr. Poesy, 86. What time … To him the mighty Mother did unveil Her awful face.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, xxvii. I claim the privilege … awarded me, and bid you unveil your countenance.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, I. xx. She unveiled her bosom. Ibid. (1820), Witch Atlas, Ded. vi. If you unveil my Witch, no priest nor primate Can shrive you of that sin.
fig. 1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 608. Till the Moon Rising in clouded Majestie, at length Apparent Queen unvaild her peerless light.
1725. Pope, Odyssey, VI. 36. When the gay morn unveils her smiling ray.
1747. Hervey, Contempl. Night (1748), II. 81. She unveils her peerless Light, and becomes ‘the Beauty of Heaven.’
b. absol. and refl. Also fig.
1770. Glover, Leonidas (ed. 5), X. 170. She unveils, Then with a voice, a countenance compos’d, Go, Medon [etc.].
1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, xxxvii. The Grand Master commanded Rebecca to unveil herself.
1862. J. H. Newman, Two Worlds, i. Unveil, O Lord, and on us shine In glory and in grace.
c. spec. To remove the covering from (a statue, etc.) so as to display it for the first time in public.
1865. Punch, 23 Sept., 17. Paulina (Britannia) unveils the Statue.
1884. American, VII. 218. The statue … was unveiled recently at Utrecht..
3. fig. To uncover, disclose, display, reveal.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., III. iii. 200. The prouidence … Keepes place with thought; and almost like the gods, Doe thoughts vnuaile in their dumbe cradles.
1638. Chillingw., Relig. Prot., I. Ded. § 3. The lustre of this blessed Doctrine I have here endeavoured to uncloud and unveile.
1700. Dryden, trans. Ovid, Pythagorean Philos., 212. For I will … Dark Oracles unveil, and open all the Skies.
1796. Kirwan, Elem. Min. (ed. 2), I. p. ix. Hitherto its treasures have been unveiled only to my eyes.
1860. Pusey, Min. Proph., 421. Man veils foul deeds under fair words; God, in His word, unveils the foulness.
1885. ‘Mrs. Alexander,’ At Bay, viii. What secrets would that meeting unveil?
b. To display to the sight; to make visible.
1656. Cowley, Davideis, IV. 804. When the new Ebb of Night Did the moist world unvail to humane sight.
1740. Dyer, Ruins Rome, 36. While the vine-mantled brows The pendent goats unveil.
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, ii. Unveiling the whole face of Nature.
1821. Shelley, Hellas, 624. The splendour of the moon, When as the wandering clouds unveiled or hid Her boundless light.
1872. Jenkinson, Guide Eng. Lakes (1879), 115. The summit is gained, and an exquisite prospect is unveiled.
4. intr. To become free from a veil or covering.
1655. H. Vaughan, Silex Scint., I. 73. When first thy Eies unveil, give thy Soul leave To do the like.
1849. Longf., Lighthouse, vii. Eager faces, as the light unveils, Gaze at the tower.
Hence Unveiler; Unveiling vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1674. Boyle, Excell. Theol., I. i. 44. Much better encomiasts of the Divine mysteries … than *unvailers.
1611. Florio, Disuelamento, an *vnualing.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), II. 421. Lest they should esteem the very unveiling of mystery indiscreet.
1854. Gosse (title), The Aquarium; an Unveiling of the Wonders of the Deep Sea.
1885. Harper’s Mag., March, 644/2. The unveiling of Fielding’s bust at Taunton.
1802. J. Baillie, 1st Pt. Ethwald, I. ii. Th’ *unveiling moon Which calls the advent’rer forth.
