1. A soft fabric, such as silk, rayon, or nylon, having a smooth, dense pile and a plain underside.
2. 1. Something suggesting the smooth surface of velvet.
   2. Smoothness; softness.
3. The soft, furry covering on the developing antlers of deer.
4. Informal.
   1. The winnings of a gambler.
   2. A profit or gain beyond what is expected or due.
5. New England. See milk shake (sense 1). See Regional Note at milk shake.

[Middle English veluet, probably from Old Provençal, from Vulgar Latin *villūtittus, diminutive of *villūtus, from Latin villus, shaggy hair, nap.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.