covert
[adjective koh-vert, kuhv-ert; noun kuhv-ert, koh-vert]
- concealed; secret; disguised.
- covered; sheltered.
- Law. (of a wife) under the protection of one's husband.
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- a covering; cover.
- a shelter or hiding place.
- concealment or disguise.
- Hunting. a thicket giving shelter to wild animals or game.
- Also called tectrix. Ornithology. one of the small feathers that cover the bases of the large feathers of the wings and tail.
- covert cloth.
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Origin of covert
1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin coopertus, past participle of cooperīre to cover completely; see cover
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comPronunciation note
Covert, related to cover, has historically been pronounced [kuhv-ert] /ˈkʌv ərt/, with [uh] /ʌ/, the same stressed vowel found in cover. This [uh] /ʌ/ 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 [oh-vurt, oh-vert] /oʊˈvɜrt, ˈoʊ vərt/, its semantic opposite, has developed the pronunciation [koh-vert] /ˈkoʊ vərt/, 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 [oh] /oʊ/ sound, the historical [kuhv-ert] /ˈkʌv ərt/ remains the more frequent pronunciation.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
hidden, undercover, surreptitious, secret, privy, private, concealed, disguised, furtive, hush-hush, incognito, masked, stealthy, ulterior, underhand, unsuspected, veiled, buried, obscured, QTExamples from the Web for covert
Contemporary Examples
The remote controlled flying craft has gone from covert military ops to a communal backyard hobby.
PARIS, France—What could be more cynical than a covert operation?
Syrian rebels have overtaken a joint Russian-Syrian secret facility that they claim was a covert intelligence collection base.
Most importantly, foreign policy should not be reduced to a synonym for military action and covert operations.
After Bipartisan Bush-Obama Blundering, Let’s Try a Libertarian Foreign PolicyNick Gillespie
July 16, 2014
Tyler agreed that the covert nature of the LGBT scene at BYU has had its upshots.
Historical Examples
There was covert insinuation of suspicion, albeit a kindly one, in the man's voice.
ThoroughbredsW. A. Fraser
He shot her a covert glance—causelessly, for her naiveté was flawless.
The Black BagLouis Joseph Vance
Mr. Bentham discreetly ignored the covert threat in Wrayson's words.
The AvengerE. Phillips Oppenheim
After skirting the covert, she turned homewards by a pathway through the trees.
Creatures of the NightAlfred W. Rees
Bertignac was suspected of a covert satire on the authorities.
Sir Jasper CarewCharles James Lever
covert
- concealed or secretcovert jealousy
- law Compare feme covert, discovert
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- a shelter or disguise
- a thicket or woodland providing shelter for game
- short for covert cloth
- ornithol any of the small feathers on the wings and tail of a bird that surround the bases of the larger feathers
- a flock of coots
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Word Origin
C14: from Old French: covered, from covrir to cover
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
Word Origin and History for covert
adj.
c.1300, from Old French covert "hidden, obscure, underhanded," literally "covered," past participle of covrir "to cover" (see cover). Related: Covertly.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper