Forms: 4 vel (5 vell), 5–7 vele; 5 veel (feel), 6 veele; 5 veylle, 6 veyle (Sc. veil, weill); 6–7 veale (6 ueale, feale), 6– veal (Sc. 7 weall, 8 veall). [a. AF. vel, OF. veel (viel, veal, vael, etc.; mod.F. veau), vedel, = Prov. vedel(h, Cat. vedel, It. and Pg. vitello:—L. vitellus, dim. of vitulus calf.]
1. The flesh of a calf as an article of diet.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Merch. T., 176. ‘Bet is,’ quod he, ‘a pyk than a pikerell, And bet than olde boef is the tendre vel.’
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), vi. 72. Thei eten but lytille or non of Flessche of Veel or of Beef.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum (1862), 28. A sawce hit is For vele and venyson, iwys.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 508/2. Veel, flesche, vitulina.
1515. Barclay, Egloges, II. (1570), B iii/2. Fat porke or vele, & namely such as is bought For easier price when they be leane & nought.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 177. They also coompare the fleshe of these tortoyses to be equall with veale in taste.
1620. Venner, Via Recta, iii. 51. Veale is a more odoriferous flesh then any other.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xxxiv. 137. These people feed on all, as Veal, Mutton, Pork,… and finally of all other beasts whatsoever.
1706–7. Farquhar, Beaux’ Strat., I. i. Aim. Have you any Veal? Bon. Veal! Sir, we had a delicate Loin of Veal on Wednesday last.
1780. Beckford, Biog. Mem., 125. The most perfect fillet of veal that ever made the mouth of man to water.
1846. J. Baxter, Libr. Pract. Agric. (ed. 4), II. 127. In the rearing of calves for veal in Holland, it is usual to confine them in … pens.
1890. Spectator, 4 Oct. What insipid and tasteless cheer does veal afford!
2. A calf, esp. as killed for food or intended for this purpose. Now rare.
1422. Yonge, trans. Secreta Secret., 244. Flesh of Velis, Vynegre, hemroll, and Potage of oot-mell.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun (Roxb.), 71. The ydolatiers of the golden veel.
1466. Paston Lett., II. 269. For purveying of all the velys, lambes,… certain piggs and polaly.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, XII. Prol. 185. Tydy ky lowys, veilys by thame rynnis.
1544. in Star Chamber Cases (Selden), II. 305. The prices of Flesh, as of Beefes, Muttons, Veales, & Porkes.
1582. Nottingham Rec., IV. 199. vj. fatte wethres, at viij s. viij d. a pece, and ij. veyles, at vjs. viij d. a pece.
1601. R. Johnson, Kingd. & Commw., 25. The flesh … of their swine, oxen, and veales haue the best relish.
1648. Herrick, Hesper., Paneg. Sir L. Pemberton, 63. When guests make their abode To eate thy Bullocks thighs, thy Veales, thy fat Weathers.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 315/1. Upon these [drag hooks] are hung two Veals or Muttons at a time.
1737. Ochtertyre House Bk. (S.H.S.), 13. Killd a Veall.
1801. Farmer’s Mag., Aug., 319. In selling veals to butchers, their haggling was extremely disagreeable.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, I. 265. My mother … would receive her prodigal and kill the fatted veal for me.
1898. Westcott, David Harum, xvii. Jim brought three or four veals into town one spring to sell.
collect. 1710. Addison, Tatler, No. 148, ¶ 1. The Flesh of Lamb, Veal, Chicken, and other Animals under Age.
3. attrib., chiefly in names of dishes, etc., made from veal, as veal broth, cutlet, gravy, pie, etc.
a. 1625. Fletcher, Hum. Lieut., III. vii. Ye Porridg gutted Slaves, ye Veal broth-Boobies!
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Gt. Eater Kent, 14. Three sixe-penny veale pyes … were presented to the scalado.
1675. E. W[ilson], Spadacrene Dunelmensis, 39. This [water] … helpeth all internal corrosions, if taken in Veal Broath fasting.
1725. Fam. Dict., s.v., Put your Veal Stakes into the Pan again, and finish the dressing with Veal Sweet-Breads. Ibid., Some Veal Gravy must be pour’d upon it.
1747. trans. Astruc’s Fevers, 340. Let the patient also drink plentifully of veal broth.
1769. Mrs. Raffald, Eng. Housek. (1778), 19. About a pound of beef or veal suet.
1827. Scott, Surg. Dau., ii. Lamb and spinage, and a veal Florentine.
1833. L. Ritchie, Wand. by Loire, 182. A large baby in one arm, and a basket of … cold veal-pie in the other.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, xviii. He treats Mrs. Perch to a veal cutlet and Scotch ale.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Veal-tea, a thick gelatinous soup or broth made of the fleshy part of the fillet or knuckle of veal.
1885. Jerome, On the Stage, 48. Property Man, behind, making a veal and hani pie, out of an old piece of canvas and a handful of shavings.
b. Special Combs.: veal-bled a., bled to exhaustion, like a calf intended for veal; veal-bones fig. youth, nonage; veal calf, (a) = sense 2; (b) a variety of leather; veal-farmer, one who rears calves for the butcher; veal-like a., resembling (that of) veal; † veal money (see quot.); veal-skin, (a) the skin of a calf; (b) a skin-disease characterized by white shining spots.
1899. Westm. Gaz., 8 Sept., 3/1. The exhausted, and almost *veal-bled and forlorn bull.
1785. R. Cumberland, Observer, No. 92. Our process seldom fails in either case, when we apply it timely, and especially to young poets in their *veal bones, as the saying is.
1888. Addy, Sheffield Gloss., 272. There is a saying ‘married in the veal bones always a calf.’
1556[?]. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1835), 153. To Thomas morison … for ij *veale calves.
1895. Boston Herald, 21 March, 5/6. Colored leather is firmer and selling more freely: Grain, 12 @ 14c; veal calf, 16 @ 181/2c.
1844. H. Stephens, Bk. Farm, II. 469. The *veal-farmers keep from 6 to 12 cows each.
1822–7. *Veal-like [see veal-skin below].
1897. W. Anderson, Surg. Treat. Lupus, 7. An unwholesome, veal-like whiteness, diversified by tiny blood vessels.
1684. Manley, Cowell’s Interpreter, s.v., *Veale money or Veale noble money. The Tenants of one of the Tythings within the Mannor of Bradford in Wiltshire, pay a yearly Rent by this name … in lieu of veale paid formerly in kind.
1591. Exch. Rolls Scotl., XXII. 171 [10s. of certain] barkit *weillskynnis.
1822–7. Good, Study Med. (1829), V. 694. Epichrosis Leucasmus. Veal-Skin…. This is the vitiligo or veal-skin of Willan, so called from the veal-like appearance which these spots produce on the general colour of the surface.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Veal-skins, an Irish trade-name for hides of the calf, which are dearer than other leather.
Hence Veal v. trans., to rear (calves) for use as veal; Vealer, a calf intended or fit for veal. U.S.
1901–. in American Dicts.
