noun

1. a sheltered nook or recess, as in cliffs
2. a small bay or inlet
3. ☆ a small valley or pass
4. ☆ a strip of open land extending into the woods
5. Archit.
   1. a concave molding, esp. one where the wall meets the ceiling or floor
   2. a trough for concealed light fixtures on a wall near a ceiling
   3. a concave arch or vault

Etymology: ME < OE cofa, cave, cell < IE *gupā, den < base *geu-, to bend, arch > cod, coomb

transitive verb, intransitive verb coved, coving cov′·ing