Cover Definition

kŭvər

covered, covering, covers

verb

covered, covering, covers

To place something on, over, or in front of, so as to conceal, protect, or close.

Webster's New World

To extend over; overlay; blanket.

Snow covered the highway.

Webster's New World

To put on a cap, hat, etc.

Webster's New World

To provide an alibi, excuse, or subterfuge (for another)

Webster's New World

To spread over a surface, as a liquid does.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
shower
submerge
overflow
drown-out
overcome
send down like manna from heaven
overspread
rain
pour
deluge
inundate
engulf
drench
be enough
meet

Antonyms:

noun

covers

Something that covers or is laid, placed, or spread over or upon something else, as:

American Heritage

Anything that covers, as a bookbinding, the front part of the binding of a magazine, a jar lid, a box top, etc.

Webster's New World

A shelter for protection, as from gunfire.

Webster's New World

A hiding place for game, as a thicket, underbrush, etc.

Webster's New World

Strategic protection given by armed units during hostile action.

The battleship approached the combat zone under a cover of fighter planes.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Antonyms:
exposure

adjective

Of or pertaining to the front cover of a book or magazine.

Wiktionary

(music) Of, pertaining to, or consisting of cover versions.

Wiktionary

idiom

cover (one's) ass

To take measures to avoid being held responsible if something goes wrong.

American Heritage

cover (one's) tracks

To conceal traces so as to elude pursuers.

American Heritage

cover (the) ground

To traverse a given distance with satisfying speed.
To deal with or accomplish something in a certain manner:
The history course covered a lot of ground in six weeks.

American Heritage

cover the waterfront

To treat, examine, or include a full range of things:
a book that covers the waterfront on starting your own business.

American Heritage

take cover

To seek concealment or protection, as from enemy fire.

American Heritage

Other Word Forms of Cover

Noun

Singular:

cover

Plural:

covers

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Cover

Origin of Cover

Middle English coveren, from Old French covrir, cueuvrir (Modern French couvrir) from Late Latin coperire from Latin cooperio (“I cover completely”), from co-, intensive prefix, + operio (“I close, cover”). Displaced native Middle English thecchen and bethecchen (“to cover”) (from Old English þeccan, beþeccan (“to cover”)), Middle English helen, (over)helen, (f)helen (“to cover, conceal”) (from Old English helan (“to conceal, cover, hide”)), Middle English wrien, (be)wreon (“to cover”) (from Old English (be)wrēon (“to cover”)), Middle English hodren, hothren (“to cover up”) (from Low German hudren (“to cover up”)).

From Wiktionary
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the original sense of the verb and noun cover was hide from view as in its cognate covert. Except in the limited sense of cover again, the word recover is unrelated and is cognate with recuperate.

From Wiktionary
Middle English coveren from Old French covrir from Latin cooperīre to cover completely co- intensive pref. co– operīre to cover wer-⁴ in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition