cover
[ kuhv-er ]
/ ˈkʌv ər /
verb (used with object)
to be or serve as a covering for; extend over; rest on the surface of: Snow covered the fields.
to place something over or upon, as for protection, concealment, or warmth.
to provide with a covering or top: Cover the pot with a lid.
to protect or conceal (the body, head, etc.) with clothes, a hat, etc; wrap.
to bring upon (oneself): He covered himself with glory by his exploits.
to hide from view; screen.
to spread on or over; apply to: to cover bread with honey.
to put all over the surface of: to cover a wall with paint.
to include, deal with, or provide for; address: The rules cover working conditions.
to suffice to defray or meet (a charge, expense, etc.): Ten dollars should cover my expenses.
to offset (an outlay, loss, liability, etc.).
to achieve in distance traversed; pass or travel over: We covered 600 miles a day on our trip.
Journalism.
- to act as a reporter or reviewer of (an event, a field of interest, a performance, etc.); have as an assignment: She covers sports for the paper.
- to publish or broadcast a report or reports of (a news item, a series of related events, etc.): The press covered the trial in great detail.
to pass or rise over and surmount or envelop: The river covered the town during the flood.
Insurance.
to insure against risk or loss.
to shelter; protect; serve as a defense for.
Military.
- to be in line with by occupying a position directly before or behind.
- to protect (a soldier, force, or military position) during an expected period of ground combat by taking a position from which any hostile troops can be fired upon.
to take temporary charge of or responsibility for in place of another: Please cover my phone while I'm out to lunch.
to extend over; comprise: The book covers 18th-century England.
to be assigned to or responsible for, as a territory or field of endeavor: We have two sales representatives covering the Southwest.
to aim at, as with a pistol.
to have within range, as a fortress does adjacent territory.
to play a card higher than (the one led or previously played in the round).
to deposit the equivalent of (money deposited), as in wagering.
to accept the conditions of (a bet, wager, etc.).
(in short selling) to purchase securities or commodities in order to deliver them to the broker from whom they were borrowed.
Baseball.
to take a position close to or at (a base) so as to catch a ball thrown to the base: The shortstop covered second on the attempted steal.
Sports.
to guard (an opponent on offense) so as to prevent him or her from scoring or carrying out his or her assignment: to cover a potential pass receiver.
(especially of a male animal) to copulate with.
(of a hen) to brood or sit on (eggs or chicks).
verb (used without object)
Informal.
to serve as a substitute for someone who is absent: We cover for the receptionist during lunch hour.
to hide the wrongful or embarrassing action of another by providing an alibi or acting in the other's place: They covered for him when he missed roll call.
to play a card higher than the one led or previously played in the round: She led the eight and I covered with the jack.
to spread over an area or surface, especially for the purpose of obscuring an existing covering or of achieving a desired thickness and evenness: This paint is much too thin to cover.
noun
something that covers, as the lid of a container or the binding of a book.
a blanket, quilt, or the like: Put another cover on the bed.
protection; shelter; concealment.
anything that veils, screens, or shuts from sight: under cover of darkness.
woods, underbrush, etc., serving to shelter and conceal wild animals or game; a covert.
Ecology.
vegetation that serves to protect or conceal animals, such as birds, from excessive sunlight, from drying, or from predators.
a set of eating utensils and the like, as plate, knife, fork, and napkin, placed for each person at a table.
an assumed identity, occupation, or business that masks the true or real one: His job at the embassy was a cover for his work as a spy.
a covering of snow, especially when suitable for skiing.
a pretense; feigning.
a person who substitutes for another or stands ready to substitute if needed: She was hired as a cover for six roles at the opera house.
Philately.
- an envelope or outer wrapping for mail.
- a letter folded so that the address may be placed on the outside and the missive mailed.
Finance.
funds to cover liability or secure against risk of loss.
Music.
cover version.
Also called covering. Mathematics.
a collection of sets having the property that a given set is contained in the union of the sets in the collection.
Verb Phrases
cover up,
- to cover completely; enfold.
- to keep secret; conceal: She tried to cover up her part in the plot.
Idioms for cover
blow one's cover,
to divulge one's secret identity, especially inadvertently: The TV news story blew his carefully fabricated cover.
break cover,
to emerge, especially suddenly, from a place of concealment: The fox broke cover and the chase was on.
- clandestinely; secretly: Arrangements for the escape were made under cover.
- within an envelope: The report will be mailed to you under separate cover.
cover one's/someone's ass, Slang: Vulgar.
to take measures that will prevent oneself or another person from suffering blame, loss, harm, etc.
take cover,
to seek shelter or safety: The hikers took cover in a deserted cabin to escape the sudden storm.
under cover,
Origin of cover
SYNONYMS FOR cover
synonym study for cover
37, 38.
Cover,
protection,
screen,
shelter mean a defense against harm or danger and a provision for safety. The main idea in
cover is that of concealment, as in darkness, in a wood, or behind something:
The ground troops were left without cover when the air force was withdrawn.
Screen refers especially to something behind which one can hide:
A well-aimed artillary fire formed a screen for ground operations.
Protection and
shelter emphasize the idea of a guard or defense, a shield against injury or death. A
protection is any such shield:
In World War II, an air cover of airplanes served as a protection for troops. A
shelter is something that covers over and acts as a place of refuge:
An abandoned monastery acted as a shelter.
OTHER WORDS FROM cover
cov·er·a·ble, adjective
cov·er·er, noun
cov·er·less, adjective
half-cov·ered, adjective
pre·cov·er, verb (used with object)
well-cov·ered, adjective
Words nearby cover
Example sentences from the Web for cover
Clad in a blue, striped button-down, a silver watch adorning his left wrist, Huckabee beams on the cover.
Until concern trolls like Sarah Ditum came along trying to cover it up again.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism |Arthur Chu |January 3, 2015 |DAILY BEASTEven in the parts of the movement he does cover, some people and efforts are missing.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dates to soften, about 15 minutes.
Cover crust with parchment paper and pour in baking beans or weights.
At an expense for material, I should think, of $7,400 in all to cover the enterprise.
The Crime of the Century |Henry M. HuntOn the model's face was her faint, impersonal professional smile that seemed to cover something like weariness or contempt.
The Trimmed Lamp |O. HenryCover with one cup of sugar and then let stand for one-half hour.
Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book |Mary A. WilsonMy only fear is that the coral may grow over and cover it up before I am free to get out there.
Stories of the Ships |Lewis R. FreemanCover it, and leave for forty-eight hours; then decant into bottles, being careful to leave all sediment behind.
What Shall We Do Now?: Five Hundred Games and Pastimes |Dorothy Canfield Fisher
British Dictionary definitions for cover
cover
/ (ˈkʌvə) /
verb (mainly tr)
to place or spread something over so as to protect or conceal
to provide with a covering; clothe
to put a garment, esp a hat, on (the body or head)
to extend over or lie thickly on the surface of; spread
snow covered the fields
to bring upon (oneself); invest (oneself) as if with a covering
covered with shame
(sometimes foll by up)
to act as a screen or concealment for; hide from view
military
to protect (an individual, formation, or place) by taking up a position from which fire may be returned if those being protected are fired upon
(also intr, often foll by for)
to assume responsibility for (a person or thing)
to cover for a colleague in his absence
(intr; foll by for or up for)
to provide an alibi (for)
to have as one's territory
this salesman covers your area
to travel over
to cover three miles a day
(tr)
to have or place in the aim and within the range of (a firearm)
to include or deal with
his talk covered all aspects of the subject
(of an asset or income) to be sufficient to meet (a liability or expense)
- to insure against loss, risk, etc
- to provide for (loss, risk, etc) by insurance
(also intr) finance
to purchase (securities, etc) in order to meet contracts, esp short sales
to deposit (an equivalent stake) in a bet or wager
(also intr)
to play a card higher in rank than (one played beforehand by another player)
to act as reporter or photographer on (a news event, etc) for a newspaper or magazine
to cover sports events
sport
to guard or protect (an opponent, team-mate, or area)
music
to record a cover version of
(of a male animal, esp a horse) to copulate with (a female animal)
(of a bird) to brood (eggs)
noun
anything that covers, spreads over, protects, or conceals
woods or bushes providing shelter or a habitat for wild creatures
- a blanket used on a bed for warmth
- another word for bedspread
finance
liquid assets, reserves, or guaranteed income sufficient to discharge a liability, meet an expenditure, etc
a pretext, disguise, or false identity
the thief sold brushes as a cover
insurance another word for coverage (def. 3)
an envelope or package for sending through the post
under plain cover
philately
- an entire envelope that has been postmarked
- on cover (of a postage stamp) kept in this form by collectors
an individual table setting, esp in a restaurant
sport
the guarding or protection of an opponent, team-mate, or area
Also called: cover version
a version by a different artist of a previously recorded musical item
cricket
- (often plural) the area more or less at right angles to the pitch on the off side and usually about halfway to the boundaryto field in the covers
- (as modifier)a cover drive by a batsman
- Also called: cover point a fielder in such a position
ecology
the percentage of the ground surface covered by a given species of plant
break cover
(esp of game animals) to come out from a shelter or hiding place
take cover
to make for a place of safety or shelter
under cover
protected, concealed, or in secret
under cover of night
See also
cover-up
Derived forms of cover
coverable, adjective coverer, noun coverless, adjectiveWord Origin for cover
C13: from Old French
covrir, from Latin
cooperīre to cover completely, from
operīre to cover over
Idioms and Phrases with cover
cover
In addition to the idioms beginning with cover
- cover for
- cover girl
- cover ground
- cover one's ass
- cover one's tracks
- cover story
- cover the field
- cover up
also see:
- blow one's cover
- break cover
- judge a book by its cover
- (cover a) multitude of sins
- take cover
- under cover