cover

1. to be or serve as a covering for; extend over; rest on the surface of:

   Snow covered the fields.

2. to place something over or upon, as for protection, concealment, or warmth.

   Synonyms: enwrap, envelop, overspread, overlay

3. to provide with a covering or top:

   Cover the pot with a lid.

4. to protect or conceal (the body, head, etc.) with clothes, a hat, etc; wrap.
5. to bring upon (oneself):

   He covered himself with glory by his exploits.

6. to hide from view; screen.

   Synonyms: conceal, cloak

7. to spread on or over; apply to:

   to cover bread with honey.

8. to put all over the surface of:

   to cover a wall with paint.

9. to include, deal with, or provide for; address:

   The rules cover working conditions.

10. to suffice to defray or meet (a charge, expense, etc.):

    Ten dollars should cover the cost of a taxi.

11. to offset (an outlay, loss, liability, etc.).

    Synonyms: compensate for, make amends, counterbalance

12. to achieve in distance traversed; pass or travel over:

    We covered 600 miles a day on our trip.

13. Journalism.
    1. 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.

    2. 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.

14. to pass or rise over and surmount or envelop:

    The river covered the town during the flood.

15. Insurance. to insure against risk or loss.
16. to serve as a defense for; shelter; protect.
17. Military.
    1. to be in line with by occupying a position directly before or behind.
    2. 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.
18. to take temporary charge of or responsibility for in place of another:

    Please cover my phone while I'm out to lunch.

19. to extend over; encompass:

    The book covers 18th-century England.

20. to be assigned to or responsible for, as a territory or field of endeavor:

    We have two sales representatives covering the Southwest.

21. to aim at, as with a pistol.
22. to have within range, as a fortress does adjacent territory.
23. to play a card higher than (the one led or previously played in the round).
24. to deposit the equivalent of (money deposited), as in wagering.
25. to accept the conditions of (a bet, wager, etc.).
26. Finance. (in short selling) to purchase securities or commodities in order to deliver them to the broker from whom they were borrowed.
27. 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.

28. Music.
    1. to perform or record (a cover version of a song):

       The band has covered more than ten Bob Dylan songs in concert.

    2. to perform or record a cover version of a song by (another singer, instrumentalist, or group):

       Many singers have covered Whitney Houston.

29. 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.

30. (especially of a male animal) to copulate with.
31. (of a hen) to brood or sit on (eggs or chicks).

1. Informal. to serve as a substitute for someone who is absent:

   We cover for the receptionist during lunch hour.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

1. something that goes on top of or surrounds, such as the lid of a container or the binding of a book.
2. a blanket, quilt, or the like:

   Put another cover on the bed.

3. protection; shelter; concealment.
4. anything that veils, screens, or shuts from sight:

   under cover of darkness.

5. woods, underbrush, etc., serving to shelter and conceal wild animals or game; a covert.
6. Ecology. vegetation that serves to protect or conceal animals, such as birds, from excessive sunlight, from drying, or from predators.
7. a set of eating utensils and the like, as plate, knife, fork, and napkin, placed for each person at a table.
8. 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.

9. a coating of snow, especially when suitable for skiing.
10. a pretense; feigning.
11. 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.

12. cover charge.
13. Philately.
    1. an envelope or outer wrapping for mail.
    2. a letter folded so that the address may be placed on the outside and the missive mailed.
14. Finance. funds to cover liability or secure against risk of loss.
15. Music. cover version.
16. 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.

verb phrase

1. 1. to lay over or wrap around; enfold.
   2. to keep secret; conceal:

      She tried to cover up her part in the plot.