covert

American  

[koh-vert, kuhv-ert, kuhv-ert, koh-vert] / ˈkoʊ vərt, ˈkʌv ərt, ˈkʌv ərt, ˈkoʊ vərt /

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.

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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 British  

/ ˈkʌvət /

adjective

1. concealed or secret

   covert jealousy

2. law Compare feme covert discovert

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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

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

Etymology

Origin of covert

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

Example Sentences

The covert appeal of shows like “Lore” and “My Favorite Murder” is their chilling sonic atmosphere.

From Salon

Even though it was a covert Special Forces operation, Panetta said, he personally briefed key congressional leaders before Bin Laden’s killing took place.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s covert interference in the communications system of another country for the purpose of changing the relationship of the government and people,” he said.

From Salon

The union has accused the carmaker of poor working conditions, withholding sick pay and covert redundancies, all enabled by the lack of a collective agreement to protect workers.

From Barron's

Then there are the more recent covert adventures in Afghanistan and Iraq.

From Salon

Related Words

• hidden
• surreptitious
• undercover