covert
Use Covert in a sentence
vərt, ˈkʌv adjective
1.
concealed; secret; disguised.
2.
covered; sheltered.
3.
Law. (of a wife) under the protection of one's husband.
noun
4.
a covering; cover.
5.
a shelter or hiding place.
6.
concealment or disguise.
7.
Hunting. a thicket giving shelter to wild animals or game.
8.
00:10
Covert
is an SAT word you need to know.
So is devoid. Does it mean:
| a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs or principles that he or she does not actually possess |
| to deplete or strip of some quality or substance |
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin coopertus, past participle of cooperīre to cover completely; see cover
1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin coopertus, past participle of cooperīre to cover completely; see cover
Related forms
co·vert·ly, adverb
co·vert·ness, noun
Synonyms
1. clandestine, surreptitious, furtive.
1. clandestine, surreptitious, furtive.
Pronunciation note
Covert, related to cover, has historically been pronounced [kuhv-ert] with [uh] the same stressed vowel found in cover. This [uh] is the traditional and unchallenged vowel in many other English words spelled with stressed o followed by v, voiced th, or a nasal in the same syllable, words of high frequency like love and above, mother and other, some and honey. The adjective covert, however, by analogy with overt [oh-vurt, oh-vert] its semantic opposite, has developed the pronunciation [koh-vert] perhaps because of the frequent coupling of the two terms in the news media. This is now the more common pronunciation for the adjective in American English, though not in British English, which retains the historical pronunciation. For the noun senses, less likely to appear in the news or to be contrasted with overt and its [oh] sound, the historical [kuhv-ert] remains the more frequent pronunciation.
Covert, related to cover, has historically been pronounced
[kuhv-ert] with [uh] the same stressed vowel found in cover. This [uh] is the traditional and unchallenged vowel in many other English words spelled with stressed o followed by v, voiced th, or a nasal in the same syllable, words of high frequency like love and above, mother and other, some and honey. The adjective covert, however, by analogy with overt [oh-vurt, oh-vert] its semantic opposite, has developed the pronunciation [koh-vert] perhaps because of the frequent coupling of the two terms in the news media. This is now the more common pronunciation for the adjective in American English, though not in British English, which retains the historical pronunciation. For the noun senses, less likely to appear in the news or to be contrasted with overt and its [oh] sound, the historical [kuhv-ert] remains the more frequent pronunciation.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To covert
Collins
World English Dictionary
covert (ˈkʌvət) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | concealed or secret: covert jealousy |
| 2. | law feme covert Compare discovert |
| —n | |
| 3. | a shelter or disguise |
| 4. | a thicket or woodland providing shelter for game |
| 5. | short for covert cloth |
| 6. | ornithol any of the small feathers on the wings and tail of a bird that surround the bases of the larger feathers |
| 7. | a flock of coots |
| [C14: from Old French: covered, from covrir to | |
| 'covertly | |
| —adv | |
| 'covertness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Police say their covert buying helps them to know when a new batch comes in.
As a tsunami speeds on its covert way, undersea mountains and valleys may alter its course.
They are often spiced with illicit videotapes, treacherous testimony by former confederates, and even covert wiretapping.
The best way to counter acting this threat is by doing small and direct covert operations.
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