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Added 9 October 2026

reveal

/ɹɪˈviːl/ noun

In Latin: acclārō, exhibeō, patefaciō Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about reveal at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The outer side of a window or door frame.
A revelation; an uncovering of what was hidden in the scene or story.
The comedian had been telling us about his sleep being disturbed by noise. Then came the reveal: he was sleeping on a bed in a department store.

verb

To uncover; to show and display that which was hidden or unknown.
To communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction.

Origin

From Middle English revēlen, from Old French reveler, from Latin revēlāre (“to reveal, uncover”), from re- (“back, again”) + vēlāre (“to cover”), from vēlum (“a cloth, covering, curtain, veil, awning, sail”) (whence also English veil, English unveil, English voile, Russian вуаль (vualʹ), Russian завуали́ровать (zavualírovatʹ, “to veil”) (compare typologically)). Also compare typologically English uncloak, dismantle, divest, invest, unmask, Russian разобла́чать (razobláčatʹ) (akin to облаче́ние (oblačénije), срыва́ть покро́вы (sryvátʹ pokróvy) (покро́в (pokróv, “cover, covering”)).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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