fine parchment prepared from the skin of a young animal e.g. a calf or lamb
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Vellum \Vel"lum\, n. [OE. velim, F. v['e]lin, fr. L. vitulinus of a calf, fr. vitulus a calf. See {Veal}.] A fine kind of parchment, usually made from calfskin, and rendered clear and white, -- used as for writing upon, and for binding books.
{Vellum cloth}, a fine kind of cotton fabric, made very transparent, and used as a tracing cloth.
The oldest apparently is 18 lines of Latin text on vellum, with musical notations, from a 12th century German prayer book.
The torn and stained scrap of vellum bearing Greek writing was believed to date from the third century and is the earliest known manuscript of part of St. Paul's letter to the Romans on the concept of justification by faith.
Historical events, Bible stories, animals, plans and 420 cities are shown on a sheet of vellum measuring 65 inches by 53 inches.