coverture

[ kuhv-er-cher ]

/ ˈkʌv ər tʃər /

noun

a cover or covering; shelter; concealment.

Law. the status of a married woman considered as under the protection and authority of her husband.

Nearby words

covert, covert action, covert cloth, covert coat, covert sensitization, coverture, covet, covetous, covey, covilhã, covin

Origin of coverture

1175–1225; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French. See covert, -ure

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for coverture

A woman needed protection, or as the law of England has it, coverture.
Judges and Ruth|Robert A. Watson
Sholto felt nervously for his sword and cleared it instinctively of the coverture in which he was wrapped.
The Black Douglas|S. R. Crockett
Tennessee removed the disability of married women arising from coverture.
A Short History of Women's Rights|Eugene A. Hecker
The counterpane, or "coverture de parade," was of the curtain material.
Furnishing the Home of Good Taste|Lucy Abbot Throop

Richard remained under this coverture while he was anointed.
Richard II|Jacob Abbott

British Dictionary definitions for coverture

coverture

/ (ˈkʌvətʃə) /

noun

law the condition or status of a married woman considered as being under the protection and influence of her husband

rare shelter, concealment, or disguise

Word Origin for coverture

C13: from Old French, from covert covered; see covert

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