vail

verb

ˈvāl 

vailed; vailing; vails

transitive verb

: to lower often as a sign of respect or submission

Word History

Etymology

Middle English valen, partly borrowed from Anglo-French valer (short for avaler "to lower") & partly short for Middle English avalen "to let fall," borrowed from Anglo-French avaler, verbal derivative of aval "downward," from a "to" (going back to Latin ad) + val "valley" — more at at entry 1, vale

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above