cover - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Proto-Indo-European *ḱe

Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm

Proto-Italic *kom

English cover

From Middle English coveren, borrowed from Old French covrir, cueuvrir (modern French couvrir), from Late Latin coperire, from Latin cooperiō (“to cover completely”), from co- (intensive prefix) + operiō (“to close, cover”). Displaced native Middle English thecchen and bethecchen (“to cover”) (from Old English þeccan, beþeccan (“to cover”)), Middle English helen, (over)helen, (for)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”)).

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. Cognate with Spanish cubrir and Portuguese cobrir.

cover (countable and uncountable, plural covers)

  1. A lid.
  2. (uncountable) Area or situation which screens a person or thing from view.
    The soldiers took cover behind a ruined building.
  3. The front and back of a book, magazine, CD package, etc.
  4. The top sheet of a bed.
  5. A cloth or similar material, often fitted, placed over an item such as a car or sofa or food to protect it from dust, rain, insects, etc. when not being used.
  6. (India) A bag or packet.
  7. A cover charge.
    There's a $15 cover tonight.
  8. A setting at a restaurant table or formal dinner.
    We need to set another cover for the Smith party.
  9. (music) A new performance or rerecording of a previously recorded song; a cover version; a cover song.
  10. (cricket) A fielding position on the off side, between point and mid off, about 30° forward of square; a fielder in this position.
    The captain signalled his best fielder from short leg to cover.
  11. (cricket) A tarpaulin or other device used to cover the wicket during rain, to prevent it getting wet.
    The covers were put on just before lunch.
  12. (cricket) The area of the stumps that is blocked by the batsman so as to defend the wicket.
  13. (cricket) A backup incase any player sustains injury during nets or midseries. Originally have to be declared part of squad before match.
    He was brought in as cover for wicketkeeper.
  14. (combinatorics, topology) A collection (or family) of subsets of a given set, whose union contains every element of said original set.
    Hyponyms: exact cover, partition
    The open intervals are a cover for the real numbers.
  15. (philately) An envelope complete with stamps and postmarks etc.
  16. (military) A solid object, including terrain, that provides protection from enemy fire.
  17. (law) In commercial law, a buyer’s purchase on the open market of goods similar or identical to the goods contracted for after a seller has breached a contract of sale by failure to deliver the goods contracted for.
  18. (insurance) An insurance contract; coverage by an insurance contract.
  19. (espionage) A persona maintained by a spy or undercover operative; cover story.
  20. (dated) A swindler's confederate.
  21. The portion of a slate, tile, or shingle that is hidden by the overlap of the course above.[1]
  22. In a steam engine, the lap of a slide valve.
  23. (construction) The distance between reinforcing steel and the exterior of concrete.

lid

hiding

front and back of a book or a magazine

top sheet

A cloth or similar material used to protect underlying items from dust, sunlight, insects etc. when not being used.

setting at a restaurant table

music: rerecording of a previously recorded song — see cover version

cricket fielding position

philately: complete envelope

military: solid object that provides protection from enemy fire — see also take cover

legal: buyer’s purchase on the open market of goods similar or identical to the goods contracted for

espionage: persona maintained by an operative — see also cover story

Translations to be checked

cover (not comparable)

  1. Of or pertaining to the front cover of a book or magazine.
  2. (music) Of, pertaining to, or consisting of cover versions.

about cover of a book or magazine

concerning a cover version

cover (third-person singular simple present covers, present participle covering, simple past and past participle covered)

  1. (transitive) To place something over or upon, as to conceal or protect.
    Synonym: bury
    He covered the baby with a blanket.
    When the pot comes to a boil, cover it and reduce the heat to medium.
  2. (transitive) To be over or upon, as to conceal or protect.
    The blanket covered the baby.
    • 1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter I, in The Lodger, London: Methuen, →OCLC; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], [1933], →OCLC, page 0016:
      A great bargain also had been the excellent Axminster carpet which covered the floor; as, again, the arm-chair in which Bunting now sat forward, staring into the dull, small fire.
    • 2013 May-June, Charles T. Ambrose, “Alzheimer’s Disease”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 200:
      Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems— […]. Such a slow-release device containing angiogenic factors could be placed on the pia mater covering the cerebral cortex and tested in persons with senile dementia in long term studies.
  3. (transitive) To be upon all of, so as to completely conceal.
    Regular hexagons can cover the plane.
  4. (transitive) To set upon all of, so as to completely conceal.
    You can cover the plane with regular hexagons.
  5. (intransitive, dated) To put on one's hat.
    • 1904, Rawdon Lubbock Brown, Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts:
      All the while he held his hat in his hand; and even until he had given his answer, when he covered and bade us be.
  6. (transitive) To invest (oneself with something); to bring upon (oneself).
    The heroic soldier covered himself with glory.
    • 1842, Henry Brougham, Political Philosophy:
      the powers that covered themselves with everlasting infamy by the partition of Poland
  7. To have under one’s scope or purview.
    1. (transitive, of a publication) To discuss thoroughly; to provide coverage of.
      The magazine covers such diverse topics as politics, news from the world of science, and the economy.
    2. (transitive) To deal with or include someone or something.
      • 2010 (publication date), "Contributors", Discover, ISSN 0274-7529, volume 32, number 1, January–February 2011, page 7:
        Richard Morgan covers science for The Economist, The New York Times, Scientific American, and Wired.
    3. (transitive) To have as an assignment or responsibility.
      Can you cover the morning shift tomorrow? I'll give you off next Monday instead.
      He is our salesman covering companies with headquarters in the northern provinces.
    4. (transitive) To provide insurance coverage for.
      Does my policy cover accidental loss?
  8. (transitive) To be enough money for.
    We've earned enough to cover most of our costs.
    Ten dollars should cover lunch.
  9. (transitive) To supply with funds; to settle or pay the costs for; to foot the bill for.
    Dad, when I get to University, will I be covered?
  10. (intransitive) To act as a replacement.
    I need to take off Tuesday. Can you cover for me?
  11. (transitive, broadcasting) To air or run locally originated material in place of network material during an internal spot break in a syndicated program.
    I wish that popular afternoon show would let us cover some of their commercials – their national stuff can be so annoying.
  12. (music, transitive) To make a cover version of (a song that was originally recorded by another artist).
    I'm surprised that the band covered this Beatles song so well.
  13. To protect, to guard.
  14. (transitive) To protect from attack in general, to guard.
    • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 2:
      Pent up in Utica he vainly forms
      A poor Epitome of Roman Greatneſs,
      And, cover’d with Numidian Guards, directs
      A feeble Army, and an empty Senate,
      Remnants of mighty Battels fought in vain.
  15. (military, law enforcement, transitive) To protect using an aimed firearm and the threat of firing; or to protect using continuous, heaving fire at or in the direction of the enemy so as to force the enemy to remain in cover; or to threaten using an aimed firearm.
  16. (chess, transitive) To protect or control (a piece or square).
    In order to checkmate a king on the side of the board, the five squares adjacent to the king must all be covered.
  17. (sports, transitive) To defend (mark) a particular player or area.
  18. (transitive) To provide an alibi for (someone); to provide excuses or apologia for (someone); to carry water for someone.
  19. (transitive) To copulate with (said of certain male animals such as dogs and horses).
    Synonym: impregnate
    I would like to have my bitch covered next spring.
    The stallion has not covered the mare yet.
  1. (transitive) To extend over a given period of time or range, to occupy, to stretch over a given area.
  2. (transitive) To traverse or put behind a certain distance.
  1. (ambitransitive, dated) To arrange plates, etc. on (a table) in preparation for a meal.
    Synonyms: lay the table, set the table

to conceal or protect

to be or set upon all of, so as to completely conceal

provide enough money for

to have as an assignment or responsibility

(music) make a cover version

protect by shooting

to provide insurance coverage for

copulate (of animals)

to extend over a given period/time/range, to occupy, to stretch over a given area

(sport) to defend a particular player or area

Translations to be checked

  1. ^ Edward H[enry] Knight (1877), “Cover”, in Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary. […], volumes I (A–GAS), New York, N.Y.: Hurd and Houghton […], →OCLC.

Borrowed from English cover.

cover m (plural covers, diminutive covertje n)

  1. a cover, cover song, cover version (rerecording of a previously recorded song, typically by a different artist)
  2. a cover, the front of a magazine or of the package of a storage medium

Unadapted borrowing from English cover.

cover

  1. cover, cover version, cover song (rerecording of a previously recorded song)
    Synonyms: coverversio, koveri, lainakappale

Borrowed from English cover.

cover m (plural covers)

  1. (colloquial) cover (rerecording)

cover

  1. inflection of covern:
    1. first-person singular present
    2. singular imperative

Borrowed from Old French covert, and was influenced by coveren.

cover (plural covers)

  1. Something that covers.

Proto-Indo-European *ḱe

Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm

Proto-Italic *kom

Polish cover

Unadapted borrowing from English cover.

cover m inan

  1. (music) cover version (rerecording of a song)

Unadapted borrowing from English cover.

cover m or (rare) f (plural coveres)

  1. (music) cover version (rerecording of a song by another musician or group)
    Synonym: versão cover

cover m or f by sense (plural coveres)

  1. impersonator (an entertainer whose act is based upon performing impressions of others)
    Ele é cover do Elvis Presley. ― He is an Elvis Presley impersonator.

Unadapted borrowing from English cover.

cover m (plural covers)

  1. (music) cover, cover version
    Synonym: versión

Borrowed from English cover.

cover c

  1. (music) cover, cover song

The plural of this word could also be covers.