Wikipedia
Velites (singular: veles) were a class of infantry in the Roman army of the mid-Republic. Velites were light infantry and skirmishers who were armed with a number of light javelins to fling at the enemy, and also carried short thrusting swords, or gladii, for use in melee. They rarely wore armour as they were the youngest and poorest soldiers in the legion and could not afford much equipment. They did carry small wooden shields for protection though, and wore a headdress made from wolf skin to allow officers to differentiate between them and other heavier legionaries.
Velites did not form their own units; a number of them were attached to each maniple of hastati, principes and triarii. They were typically used as a screening force, driving off enemy skirmishers and disrupting enemy formations with javelin throws before retiring behind the lines to allow the heavier-armed hastati to attack. They were normally the ones who engaged war elephants and chariots if they were present on the field; their high mobility and ranged weaponry made them much more effective against these enemies than heavy infantry. An early Roman legion contained approximately 1000 velites. Velites were eventually done away with after the Marian reforms.
Usage examples of "velites".
Centurion Velitis Vusca kept the proper number of paces to the rear, his Velites marching with a dull clink and clash behind him.
The Velites were not divided into companies, but were distributed equally among the Hastati, Principes, and Triarii.
The velites moved back on light feet and let the triarii come forward in their heavier armor.
The velites were fast and lightly armored and though they could fight for two hours without a rest, Brutus thought of sending the heavy men in to keep them fresh for the retreat he may have to order.
He ordered the maniples to rotate the velites back to the front and went with them, gasping with weariness.
Julius felt as if his force were being bled as he gave orders for mixed groups of cavalry and velites to keep the ground clear for the lifeline behind.
Each wing was thus lengthened by three infantry cohorts and three troops of horse, besides velites, and in this formation they advanced against the enemy at a run, the others following en echelon.