cloak

American  

[klohk] / kloʊk /

noun

1. a loose outer garment, as a cape or coat.

2. something that covers or conceals; disguise; pretense.

   He conducts his affairs under a cloak of secrecy.

   Synonyms:

   veil, mask, cover

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verb (used with object)

1. to cover with or as if with a cloak.

   She arrived at the opera cloaked in green velvet.

2. to hide; conceal.

   The mission was cloaked in mystery.

cloak British  

/ kləʊk /

noun

1. a wraplike outer garment fastened at the throat and falling straight from the shoulders

2. something that covers or conceals

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verb

1. to cover with or as if with a cloak

2. to hide or disguise

Other Word Forms

• cloakless adjective
• undercloak noun
• well-cloaked adjective

Etymology

Origin of cloak

1175–1225; Middle English cloke (< Old French ) < Medieval Latin cloca, variant of clocca bell-shaped cape, bell; clock ¹

Example Sentences

Destitute, he made his home in a pithos, or giant clay pot, using his cloak in place of a bed.

From The Wall Street Journal

One drone he pilots can throw up an effective cloak of invisibility against electronic onslaughts, but others he has trained on don’t hold up well in that domain, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now, millions come to the basilica, where the cloak is displayed, each December, with most arriving in the days leading up to Dec. 12.

From Los Angeles Times

The other is unapologetically savory, studded with tangy giardiniera and cloaked in what I’ve taken to calling “edible confetti” — a joyful mix of crushed Parmesan crisps, bacon and fried shallots.

From Salon

The third edit was an "invisibility cloak" that prevented the cells being killed by a chemotherapy drug.

From BBC

Related Words

• camouflage
• conceal
• dress up
• obscure
• shroud
• veil