cover

American  

[kuhv-er] / ˈkʌv ər /

verb (used with object)

• covers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• covered,
  past participle,  past
• covering
  present participle

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).

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verb (used without object)

• covers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• covered,
  past participle,  past
• covering
  present participle

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.

noun

• covers
  plural

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. cover up

   1. to lay over or wrap around; enfold.

   2. to keep secret; conceal.

      She tried to cover up her part in the plot.

idioms

1. blow one's cover, to divulge one's secret identity, especially inadvertently.

   The TV news story blew his carefully fabricated cover.

2. break cover, to emerge, especially suddenly, from a place of concealment.

   The fox broke cover and the chase was on.

3. (from) cover to cover, from beginning to end (of a book or other printed publication).

   I don’t usually read magazines cover to cover.

4. take cover, to seek shelter or safety.

   The hikers took cover in a deserted cabin to escape the sudden storm.

5. under separate cover, in a separate envelope.

   The report will be mailed to you under separate cover.

6. cover one's / someone's ass, to take measures that will prevent oneself or another person from suffering blame, loss, harm, etc.

7. under cover, clandestinely; secretly.

   Arrangements for the escape were made under cover.

cover British  

/ ˈkʌvə /

verb

1. to place or spread something over so as to protect or conceal

2. to provide with a covering; clothe

3. to put a garment, esp a hat, on (the body or head)

4. to extend over or lie thickly on the surface of; spread

   snow covered the fields

5. to bring upon (oneself); invest (oneself) as if with a covering

   covered with shame

6. (sometimes foll by up) to act as a screen or concealment for; hide from view

7. 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

8. to assume responsibility for (a person or thing)

   to cover for a colleague in his absence

9. (intr; foll by for or up for) to provide an alibi (for)

10. to have as one's territory

    this salesman covers your area

11. to travel over

    to cover three miles a day

12. (tr) to have or place in the aim and within the range of (a firearm)

13. to include or deal with

    his talk covered all aspects of the subject

14. (of an asset or income) to be sufficient to meet (a liability or expense)

15. 1. to insure against loss, risk, etc

    2. to provide for (loss, risk, etc) by insurance

16. (also intr) finance to purchase (securities, etc) in order to meet contracts, esp short sales

17. to deposit (an equivalent stake) in a bet or wager

18. (also intr) to play a card higher in rank than (one played beforehand by another player)

19. to act as reporter or photographer on (a news event, etc) for a newspaper or magazine

    to cover sports events

20. sport to guard or protect (an opponent, team-mate, or area)

21. music to record a cover version of

22. (of a male animal, esp a horse) to copulate with (a female animal)

23. (of a bird) to brood (eggs)

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noun

1. anything that covers, spreads over, protects, or conceals

2. woods or bushes providing shelter or a habitat for wild creatures

3. 1. a blanket used on a bed for warmth

   2. another word for bedspread

4. finance liquid assets, reserves, or guaranteed income sufficient to discharge a liability, meet an expenditure, etc

5. a pretext, disguise, or false identity

   the thief sold brushes as a cover

6. insurance another word for coverage

7. an envelope or package for sending through the post

   under plain cover

8. philately

   1. an entire envelope that has been postmarked

   2. (of a postage stamp) kept in this form by collectors

9. an individual table setting, esp in a restaurant

10. sport the guarding or protection of an opponent, team-mate, or area

11. Also called: cover version. a version by a different artist of a previously recorded musical item

12. cricket

    1. (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

    2. ( as modifier )

       a cover drive by a batsman

    3. Also called: cover point. a fielder in such a position

13. ecology the percentage of the ground surface covered by a given species of plant

14. (esp of game animals) to come out from a shelter or hiding place

15. to make for a place of safety or shelter

16. protected, concealed, or in secret

    under cover of night

cover More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing cover

• (cover a) multitude of sins
• blow one's cover
• break cover
• judge a book by its cover
• take cover
• under cover

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Synonym Usage

Cover, protection, screen, shelter mean a defense against harm or danger and a provision for safety. The main idea in cover is that of concealment, as in darkness, in a wood, or behind something: The ground troops were left without cover when the air force was withdrawn. Screen refers especially to something behind which one can hide: A well-aimed artillery fire formed a screen for ground operations. Protection and shelter emphasize the idea of a guard or defense, a shield against injury or death. A protection is any such shield: In World War II, an air cover of airplanes served as a protection for troops. A shelter is something that covers over and acts as a place of refuge: An abandoned monastery acted as a shelter.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• coverer
  noun
• precover
  verb (used with object)
• coverable
  adjective
• coverless
  adjective
• half-covered
  adjective
• well-covered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• covers
  plural

Participles

• covering
  present
• covered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• cover
  simple
• covers
  simple
• have covered
  perfect
• has covered
  perfect
• am covering
  progressive
• are covering
  progressive
• is covering
  progressive
• have been covering
  perfect progressive
• has been covering
  perfect progressive

Past

• covered
  simple
• had covered
  perfect
• was covering
  progressive
• were covering
  progressive
• had been covering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will cover
  simple
• will have covered
  perfect
• will be covering
  progressive
• will have been covering
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of cover

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English coveren, coueren, coouer, from Old French covrir, couvrir, cuvrir, from Latin cooperīre “to cover completely,” equivalent to co-, an intensive prefix + operīre “to shut, close, cover”; see origin at co-, aperient

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Explanation

To cover something is to conceal it by putting something on top of it. In many religions, it's important for people to cover their heads in various instances. You might cover your picnic table with a bright tablecloth for a party, or cover the mirrors in your house when you're mourning a family member. Gardeners cover their beds with mulch or compost, scattering a layer on top, and painters cover dingy old paint with a fresh new coat. If a politician covers something up, he attempts to hide some mistake or wrongdoing. When cover is a noun, it can mean "a lid" or "a secret identity."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cover covers covered covering

If you add in Social Security, when you choose to take it, it could cover your mortgage, based on the average Social Security check.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026

Once inside the city, we leave our vehicles hidden under the cover of trees and venture out on foot.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026

Although the ballot measure deals mainly with what type of content video signs can show, the Caltrans notices cover the structures themselves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

Although the cold is expected to fade quickly, capping the rally, “the shorts are still being forced to cover so today could be a wild ride.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026

Tumbling mats had been spread out to cover part of the floor and I collapsed onto one of them.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Between March and May 2025, the board, which covers Bridgend county, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf, carried out 6,140 visits.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026

The 1977 feature, which covers the same era as the series, co-starred Robert Duvall and Ernest Borgnine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

Does this seem like a reasonable strategy for someone in my position, given that Social Security covers my fixed expenses?

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

Wong, who turned 30 last month, was the subject of a Netflix documentary and his picture was splashed on magazine covers the world over -- until he disappeared from the public eye and into prison.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

“Time for bed, Albie,” she said, even though I was already under the covers.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Yes, he’s been well covered, but we haven’t seen behind the curtain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

I covered the reveal of the Cybertruck with a colleague whose spit-take reaction when the Cybertruck rolled out was unforgettable: Is this for real?

From Slate ● Nov. 9, 2026

All three incidents were covered in more detail by BBC Sport on Friday.

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026

To help the nanoparticles reach the correct immune cells, the scientists covered their surfaces with antibody fragments.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2026

He gazes up and sees an American soldier, his face covered with soot.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

If you’ve ever daydreamed about covering some part of the famous roadway, hop on in.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026

During the Russia-Africa summit last month, Madagascar and Russia signed several cooperation agreements covering defence, tourism and trade.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026

The EU already has a raft of laws covering data protection, artificial intelligence and online content but Brussels and campaigners argue there are gaps that leave consumers exposed to harmful digital practices.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026

Find insight on oil futures, BP, Eni and more in the latest Market Talks covering Energy and Utilities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

Was the parrot—this thespian parrot, impersonating a pirate’s parrot, with a miniature costume eye patch covering one beady little bird eye—was this talented avian of the stage howling?

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

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