What does "velvet" mean?

Velvet: The soft and highly vascular deciduous skin which envelops and nourishes the antlers of deer during their rapid growth. Cotton velvet, an imitation of velvet, made of cotton. -- Velvet cork, the best kind of cork bark, supple, elastic, and not woody or porous. -- Velvet crab a European crab (Portunus puber). When adult the black carapace is covered with a velvety pile. Called also lady crab, and velvet fiddler. -- Velvet dock (Bot.), the common mullein. -- Velvet duck. (Zoöl.) (a) A large European sea duck, or scoter (Oidemia fusca). The adult male is glossy, velvety black, with a white speculum on each wing, and a white patch behind each eye. (b) The American whitewinged scoter. See Scoter. -- Velvet flower (Bot.), love-lies-bleeding. See under Love. -- Velvet grass (Bot.), a tall grass (Holcus lanatus) with velvety stem and leaves; -- called also soft grass. -- Velvet runner (Zoöl.), the water rail; -- so called from its quiet, stealthy manner of running. [Prov. Eng.] -- Velvet scoter. (Zoöl.) Same as Velvet duck, above. -- Velvet sponge. (Zoöl.) See under Sponge.