Cover Definition
- To take measures to avoid being held responsible if something goes wrong.
- To conceal traces so as to elude pursuers.
- 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.
- To treat, examine, or include a full range of things:
a book that covers the waterfront on starting your own business.
- To seek concealment or protection, as from enemy fire.
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Cover
- cover (one's) ass
- cover (one's) tracks
- cover (the) ground
- cover the waterfront
- take cover
- under cover
- break cover
- cover up
- take cover
- under cover
Origin of Cover
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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
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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
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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
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