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cove

1
[ kohv ]
/ koʊv /
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noun
verb (used with or without object), coved, cov·ing.
to make or become a cove.
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Origin of cove

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cofa “cave, den, closet”; cognate with Old Norse kofi “hut,” Greek gĂœpē “cave”

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cove

bay, cove , gulf, inlet

Other definitions for cove (2 of 2)

cove2
[ kohv ]
/ koʊv /

noun
British Slang. a person; fellow.
Australian Slang. a manager, especially of a sheep station.

Origin of cove

2
First recorded in 1560–70; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Romani kova “creature, thing, person”
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cove in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cove (1 of 2)

cove1
/ (kəʊv) /

noun
a small bay or inlet, usually between rocky headlands
a narrow cavern formed in the sides of cliffs, mountains, etc, usually by erosion
a sheltered place
Also called: coving architect a concave curved surface between the wall and ceiling of a room
verb
(tr) to form an architectural cove in

Word Origin for cove

Old English cofa; related to Old Norse kofi, Old High German kubisi tent

British Dictionary definitions for cove (2 of 2)

cove2
/ (kəʊv) /

noun
old-fashioned, slang, British and Australian a fellow; chap
Australian history an overseer of convict labourers

Word Origin for cove

C16: probably from Romany kova thing, person
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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