velados

Velados is the plural form of velado, a Spanish term with multiple related meanings. It derives from the verb velar, which broadly means to cover with a veil or to guard, and is used in both literal and figurative contexts.

As an adjective, velado describes something that is veiled, hidden, or obscured. It can refer to physical coverings, such as a veiled object, or to light, weather, or color, as in cielo velado (a veiled sky) or luz velada (soft, subdued light). Figuratively, velado can indicate something that is not openly expressed or understood, such as una verdad velada (a veiled truth) or una intención velada (a masked or concealed intention).

In funeral or ritual language, velado may also designate the deceased during a wake or vigil. In this context, el velado can refer to the person who has died and is being vigilado or la persona velada, depending on local usage. The plural los velados can appear in texts describing the deceased or participants in a vigil, though more common terms in many regions are velorio, velatorio, or difunto.

Variations and related terms include velar (to veil or to watch over), velación (the act of watching over a body or of veiling), and velatorio (the vigil or wake). Velados, as a plural form, appears primarily in literary or formal prose and is best understood through its adjectival sense or its funeral-use context.