covert

[koh-vert, kuhv-ert, kuhv-ert, koh-vert]

adjective

1. concealed or disguised; secret: covert behavior.

   covert intelligence operations;

   covert behavior.

   Synonyms: furtive, surreptitious, clandestine

2. covered; sheltered.

3. Law.,  (of a wife) under the protection of one's husband.

noun

1. a covering; cover.

2. a shelter or hiding place.

3. concealment or disguise.

4. Hunting.,  a thicket giving shelter to wild animals or game.

5. Also called tectrix. Ornithology.,  one of the small feathers that cover the bases of the large feathers of the wings and tail.

6. covert cloth.

covert

/ ˈkʌvət /

adjective

1. concealed or secret

   covert jealousy

2. law Compare feme covert discovert

noun

1. a shelter or disguise

2. a thicket or woodland providing shelter for game

3. short for covert cloth

4. ornithol any of the small feathers on the wings and tail of a bird that surround the bases of the larger feathers

5. a flock of coots

Pronunciation Note

Covert, related to cover, has historically been pronounced , with , the same stressed vowel found in cover. This is the traditional and unchallenged vowel in many other English words spelled with stressed o followed by v, voiced th, or a nasal in the same syllable, words of high frequency like love and above, mother and other, some and honey. The adjective covert, however, by analogy with overt , its semantic opposite, has developed the pronunciation , perhaps because of the frequent coupling of the two terms in the news media. This is now the more common pronunciation for the adjective in American English, though not in British English, which retains the historical pronunciation. For the noun senses, less likely to appear in the news or to be contrasted with overt and its sound, the historical remains the more frequent pronunciation.

Other Word Forms

• covertly adverb
• covertness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of covert¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin coopertus, past participle of cooperīre “to cover completely”; cover

Word History and Origins

Origin of covert¹

C14: from Old French: covered, from covrir to _cover

Example Sentences

It’s a choice that feels almost masturbatory, a covert nod to the fact that this movie exists for no reason other than the fact that someone wanted it to.

From Salon

Our anti-corruption unit is currently running multiple covert operations, looking at cases involving racism, misogyny and criminal relationships.

From BBC

Over the next seven months, covert recording allowed the BBC to gather clear evidence corroborating what whistleblowers had described.

From BBC

Just like that bill increased ICE’s funding by billions of dollars, Lockjaw’s new group of bigot buddies aims to use their money to fund covert methods of “racial purification.”

From Salon

As well as journalists, Mr McCullough has looked at how covert measures may have been used against lawyers and others.

From BBC

Related Words

• hidden 
• surreptitious 
• undercover