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View synonyms for covert

covert

[ adjective koh-vert, kuhv-ert; noun kuhv-ert, koh-vert ]

adjective

  1. concealed or disguised; secret: covert behavior.

    covert intelligence operations;

    covert behavior.

    Synonyms: furtive, surreptitious, clandestine

  2. covered; sheltered.
  3. Law. (of a wife) under the protection of one's husband.


noun

  1. a shelter or hiding place.
  2. concealment or disguise.
  3. Hunting. a thicket giving shelter to wild animals or game.
  4. Also called tectrix. Ornithology. one of the small feathers that cover the bases of the large feathers of the wings and tail.

covert

/ ˈkʌvət /

adjective

  1. concealed or secret

    covert jealousy

  2. law Compare feme covert discovert


noun

  1. a shelter or disguise
  2. a thicket or woodland providing shelter for game
  3. short for covert cloth
  4. ornithol any of the small feathers on the wings and tail of a bird that surround the bases of the larger feathers
  5. a flock of coots

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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.

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Derived Forms

  • ˈcovertness, noun
  • ˈcovertly, adverb

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Other Words From

  • co·vert·ly adverb
  • co·vert·ness noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of covert1

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin coopertus, past participle of cooperīre “to cover completely”; cover

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Word History and Origins

Origin of covert1

C14: from Old French: covered, from covrir to cover

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Example Sentences

Set atop the dried-up bed of Groom Lake in the Nevada desert, the now-infamous spot made for good runways, and was remote enough to keep prying eyes off covert Cold War projects.

Military dogs and their handlers play vital roles, particularly in covert operations.

While Project Veritas had previously disseminated covert recordings of CNN’s daily meeting, in this video O’Keefe himself could be seen dialing in to a private CNN call — apparently without the knowledge or consent of participants.

When Bill Sampson pleads with Margo to contain her “paranoic outbursts” and “paranoic tantrums,” he’s channeling the sense that the American psyche is at risk of being torn apart by anxiety over covert invasion.

The GRU, he says, is also constantly creating “digital” equivalents of traditionally “analog” dirty tricks, making covert operations that used to involve agents or officials tougher to track.

From Ozy

The Kulahu strike was part of a widening covert war being waged by Iran inside Pakistan.

The remote controlled flying craft has gone from covert military ops to a communal backyard hobby.

He and his followers have become really good at keeping their communications covert.

PARIS, France—What could be more cynical than a covert operation?

Syrian rebels have overtaken a joint Russian-Syrian secret facility that they claim was a covert intelligence collection base.

She saw a covert smile on his wrinkled face, while his wife pushed her former inquiry.

To-day they wore light covert coats over their canvas and rubber.

A thick wood skirted the meadow-land in another direction; but they could not have gained that covert for the same reason.

Fetherston raised his eyes and shot a covert glance at her—a glance of distinct suspicion.

Their deeper recesses were given up to owls and bats, and nearer the entrance the prowling fox or jackal found a covert.

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petrichor

[pet-ri-kawr]

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