cover
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 the cost of a taxi.
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.
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; encompass: 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.).
Finance. (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.
Music.
to perform or record (a cover version of a song): The band has covered more than ten Bob Dylan songs in concert.
to perform or record a cover version of a song by (another singer, instrumentalist, or group): Many singers have covered Whitney Houston.
Sports. to guard (an opponent on offense) so as to prevent them from scoring or carrying out their assignment: They tried to 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).
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.
something that goes on top of or surrounds, such as the lid of a container or the binding of a book.
a blanket, quilt, or the like: Put another cover on the bed.
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 coating 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.
Idioms about 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.
cover one's / someone's ass, Slang: Vulgar. to take measures that will prevent oneself or another person from suffering blame, loss, harm, etc.
(from) cover to cover, from beginning to end (of a book or other printed publication):I don’t usually read magazines cover to cover.
take cover, to seek shelter or safety: The hikers took cover in a deserted cabin to escape the sudden storm.
under cover, clandestinely; secretly: Arrangements for the escape were made under cover.
under separate cover, in a separate envelope: The report will be mailed to you under separate cover.
Origin of cover
1synonym study For cover
Other words for cover
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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use cover in a sentence
Similarly, a recent NPR report covered the challenges many police departments are having recruiting officers of color.
This can also be prepared a few days in advance and stored, covered, in the fridge.
Tax evasion carries a maximum penalty of five years, and thus it seems likely that Grimm would be covered by the provision.
The Felon Who Wouldn’t Leave Congress | Ben Jacobs, David Freedlander | December 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI covered New York politics for 15 years, and I saw some awfully tense moments between the police and Democratic politicians.
The NY Police Union’s Vile War with Mayor De Blasio | Michael Tomasky | December 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“Although major presses covered below news since last night, not many people is interested in their threat,” wrote Hwang.
Exclusive: Sony Emails Say Studio Exec Picked Kim Jong-Un as the Villain of ‘The Interview’ | William Boot | December 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
With a suffocating gasp, she fell back into the chair on which she sat, and covered her face with her hands.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterC was a Captain, all covered with lace; D was a drunkard, and had a red face.
Keep closely covered with a bell glass and, in a few weeks, more or less, the baby Ferns will start to put in an appearance.
How to Know the Ferns | S. Leonard BastinThere lay Bob Rock, covered with blood, and apparently insensible.
About her neck was hung a covered basket and a door-key; and Davy at once concluded that she was Sindbad's house-keeper.
Davy and The Goblin | Charles E. Carryl
British Dictionary definitions for cover
/ (ˈkʌvə) /
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)
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 boundary: to 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
Origin of cover
1- See also cover-up
Derived forms of cover
- coverable, adjective
- coverer, noun
- coverless, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with 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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse