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”)).
Meanings
The outer side of a window or door frame.
The building has a one-story rusticated limestone base and a canopied entrance with a doorman beneath an attractive, rusticated limestone window reveal on the second floor and a very impressive and ornate limestone window reveal on the third floor flanked by female figureshttps://www.cityrealty.com/nyc/carnegie-hill/1105-park-avenue/review/7216. 2010, Carter B. Horsley, The Upper East Side Book:
(informal, usually) A revelation; an uncovering of what was hidden in the scene or story.
Once you find out what’s going on—the girl is a “hungry,” this film’s term for zombies—it’s still interesting enough, if not quite as powerful. That’s basically what you’re in for with this British postapocalyptic survival horror tale, which starts off strong but dilutes its impact with every consecutive reveal. 2017 February 23, Katie Rife, “The Girl With All The Gifts tries to put a fresh spin on overripe zombie clichés”, in The Onion AV Club:
Even Westworld—based on a science-fiction novel where robots run amok—ended its second season with the ultimate reveal: human beings are simpler and more predictable than the artificial intelligences we create. 2019, Douglas Rushkoff, “Survival of the Richest”, in Extinction Rebellion, editor, This Is Not A Drill, London: Penguin, →ISBN:
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.
A simple dolly or crane move can be used for an effective reveal. A subject fills the frame, then with a move, something else is revealed. 2002, Blain Brown, Cinematography, →ISBN:
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”)).
Meanings
(transitive) To uncover; to show and display that which was hidden or unknown.
It was the construction workers who revealed that they had seen her at the corner of Poinciana Street and Main Highway, her thumb out, that afternoon. 2026 July 29, Nicholas Muhoro, “Amy Billig Vanished While Hitchhiking Through Coconut Grove. Then the Calls Began”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 31 Jul 2026:
The dispatches revealed details of corruption and kleptocracy that many Tunisians suspected, but could not prove, and would cite as they took to the streets. 2013 June 7, Gary Younge, “Hypocrisy lies at heart of Manning prosecution”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 18:
c. 1625, Edmund Waller, Of the Danger His Majesty (being Prince) Escaped in the Road at St Andero
Light was the wound, the prince's care unknown, / She might not, would not, yet reveal her own.
(transitive) To communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction.
bg разкривам (to uncover) · egy pr:r-D54-Xr:r (to uncover) · fr révéler (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · grc μηνύω (to uncover) · pl odsłaniać (to uncover) · pt revelar (to uncover) · mk открива (to uncover) · pl odkrywać (to uncover) · la dēclārō (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · grc ἐκφαίνω (to uncover) · sw kufunulia (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · sv avtäcka (to uncover) · la acclārō (to uncover) · vi tiết lộ (to uncover) · da afsløre (to uncover) · no avsløre (to uncover) · tr açığa vurmak (to uncover) · pl odkryć (to uncover) · la ēnūntiō (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · eo riveli (to uncover) · ru пока́зывать (to uncover) · et paljastama (to uncover) · cs odhalit (to uncover) · ru выявля́ть (to uncover) · ja 現す (to uncover) · de enthüllen (to uncover) · it gettare la maschera (to uncover) · de offenbaren (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · it rivelare (to uncover) · pl ujawnić (to uncover) · es propalar (to uncover) · fr révéler (to uncover) · cy datguddio (to uncover) · vi để lộ (to uncover) · eo malkaŝi (to uncover) · pl ujawniać (to uncover) · nl zich ontpoppen (to uncover) · gl revelar (to uncover) · uga 𐎁𐎙𐎊 (to uncover) · uk розкривати (to uncover) · la exhibeō (to uncover) · uk з'ясовувати (to uncover) · uk показувати (to uncover) · it mostrare se stesso (to uncover) · is afhjúpa (to uncover) · hu felfed (to uncover) · ota كشف ایتمك (to uncover) · he חשף (to uncover) · la patefaciō (to uncover) · sv uppenbara (to uncover) · es revelar (to uncover) · pl odsłonić (to uncover) · ms dedah (to uncover) · it svelare (to uncover) · ca revelar (to uncover) · sv avslöja (to uncover) · nl onthullen (to uncover) · ang ætīewan (to uncover) · pt divulgar (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · ga foilsigh (to uncover) · sw -dhihirisha (to uncover) · fi paljastaa (to uncover) · zdj uɓulia (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · fa مکشوف ساختن (to uncover) · la revēlō (to uncover) · ckb دەرخستن (to uncover) · sco kithe (to uncover) · az üzə çıxarmaq (to uncover) · ar أَوْحَى (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · pdt openboaren (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · cmn 透露 (to uncover) · yi אַנטפּלעקן (to uncover) · io revelar (to uncover) · es revelar (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · te వెల్లడించు (to uncover) · te బయటపెట్టు (to uncover) · ru раскрыва́ть (to uncover) · uk виявляти (to uncover) · ko 나타내다 (to uncover) · it rivelare (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · he גילה (to uncover) · sh otkriti (to uncover) · ar أَنْزَلَ (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · sga foilsigidir (to uncover) · ar نَزَّلَ (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · gl revelar (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · ca divulgar (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · an revelar (to uncover) · grc φαίνω (to uncover) · vi mặc khải (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · ja 表わす (to uncover) · cu авити (to uncover) · cmn 顯示 /显示 (to uncover) · ar كَشَفَ (to uncover) · el αποκαλύπτω (to uncover) · ja 表す (to uncover) · fr laisser voir (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · ko 드러내다 (to uncover) · zdj upvenulia (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · th เปิดเผย (to uncover) · zdj upvenua (to uncover) · az nazil etmək (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · cy datguddio (to communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction) · sw -toboa (to uncover) · it uscire allo scoperto (to uncover) · sh открити (to uncover)