From Middle English coveren, borrowed from Old French covrir, cueuvrir (modern French couvrir), from Late Latin coperire, from Latin cooperiō (“to cover completely”), from co- (intensive prefix) + operiō (“to close, cover”). Displaced native Middle English thecchen and bethecchen (“to cover”) (from Old English þeccan, beþeccan (“to cover”)), Middle English helen, (over)helen, (for)helen (“to cover, conceal”) (from Old English helan (“to conceal, cover, hide”)), Middle English wrien, (be)wreon (“to cover”) (from Old English (be)wrēon (“to cover”)), Middle English hodren, hothren (“to cover up”) (from Low German hudren (“to cover up”)). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the original sense of the verb and noun cover was “hide from view” as in its cognate covert. Except in the limited sense of “cover again”, the word recover is unrelated and is cognate with recuperate. Cognate with Spanish cubrir and Portuguese cobrir.
Area or situation which screens a person or thing from view.
The soldiers took cover behind a ruined building.
3
The front and back of a book, magazine, CD package, etc.
4
The top sheet of a bed.
5
A cloth or similar material, often fitted, placed over an item such as a car or sofa or food to protect it from dust, rain, insects, etc. when not being used.
When I gave a dinner there was generally a cover laid for him. I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
9
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music A new performance or rerecording of a previously recorded song; a cover version; a cover song.
10
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A fielding position on the off side, between point and mid off, about 30° forward of square; a fielder in this position.
The captain signalled his best fielder from short leg to cover.
11
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A tarpaulin or other device used to cover the wicket during rain, to prevent it getting wet.
The covers were put on just before lunch.
12
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports The area of the stumps that is blocked by the batsman so as to defend the wicket.
13
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A backup incase any player sustains injury during nets or midseries. Originally have to be declared part of squad before match.
He was brought in as cover for wicketkeeper.
14
Combinatorics, Mathematics, Sciences, Topology A collection (or family) of subsets of a given set, whose union contains every element of said original set.
The open intervals are a cover for the real numbers.
15
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Philately An envelope complete with stamps and postmarks etc.
Law In commercial law, a buyer’s purchase on the open market of goods similar or identical to the goods contracted for after a seller has breached a contract of sale by failure to deliver the goods contracted for.
18
Business, Insurance An insurance contract; coverage by an insurance contract.
From Middle English coveren, borrowed from Old French covrir, cueuvrir (modern French couvrir), from Late Latin coperire, from Latin cooperiō (“to cover completely”), from co- (intensive prefix) + operiō (“to close, cover”). Displaced native Middle English thecchen and bethecchen (“to cover”) (from Old English þeccan, beþeccan (“to cover”)), Middle English helen, (over)helen, (for)helen (“to cover, conceal”) (from Old English helan (“to conceal, cover, hide”)), Middle English wrien, (be)wreon (“to cover”) (from Old English (be)wrēon (“to cover”)), Middle English hodren, hothren (“to cover up”) (from Low German hudren (“to cover up”)). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the original sense of the verb and noun cover was “hide from view” as in its cognate covert. Except in the limited sense of “cover again”, the word recover is unrelated and is cognate with recuperate. Cognate with Spanish cubrir and Portuguese cobrir.
1
Of or pertaining to the front cover of a book or magazine.
2
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music Of, pertaining to, or consisting of cover versions.
cover
verb
Etymology
From Middle English coveren, borrowed from Old French covrir, cueuvrir (modern French couvrir), from Late Latin coperire, from Latin cooperiō (“to cover completely”), from co- (intensive prefix) + operiō (“to close, cover”). Displaced native Middle English thecchen and bethecchen (“to cover”) (from Old English þeccan, beþeccan (“to cover”)), Middle English helen, (over)helen, (for)helen (“to cover, conceal”) (from Old English helan (“to conceal, cover, hide”)), Middle English wrien, (be)wreon (“to cover”) (from Old English (be)wrēon (“to cover”)), Middle English hodren, hothren (“to cover up”) (from Low German hudren (“to cover up”)). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the original sense of the verb and noun cover was “hide from view” as in its cognate covert. Except in the limited sense of “cover again”, the word recover is unrelated and is cognate with recuperate. Cognate with Spanish cubrir and Portuguese cobrir.
To place something over or upon, as to conceal or protect.
He covered the baby with a blanket.
When the pot comes to a boil, cover it and reduce the heat to medium.
2
To be over or upon, as to conceal or protect.
The blanket covered the baby.
A great bargain also had been the excellent Axminster carpet which covered the floor; as, again, the arm-chair in which Bunting now sat forward, staring into the dull, small fire.1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter I, in The Lodger, London: Methuen, →OCLC; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], [1933], →OCLC, page 0016:
1 more example
Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—[…]. Such a slow-release device containing angiogenic factors could be placed on the pia mater covering the cerebral cortex and tested in persons with senile dementia in long term studies.2013 May-June, Charles T. Ambrose, “Alzheimer’s Disease”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 200:
All the while he held his hat in his hand; and even until he had given his answer, when he covered and bade us be.1904, Rawdon Lubbock Brown, Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts:
6
To invest (oneself with something); to bring upon (oneself).
The heroic soldier covered himself with glory.
the powers that covered themselves with everlasting infamy by the partition of Poland1842, Henry Brougham, Political Philosophy:
› To have under one’s scope or purview.
7
Of a publication To discuss thoroughly; to provide coverage of.
The magazine covers such diverse topics as politics, news from the world of science, and the economy.
8
To deal with or include someone or something.
Richard Morgan covers science for The Economist, The New York Times, Scientific American, and Wired.2010 (publication date), "Contributors", Discover, ISSN 0274-7529, volume 32, number 1, January–February 2011, page 7
9
To have as an assignment or responsibility.
Can you cover the morning shift tomorrow? I'll give you off next Monday instead.
He is our salesman covering companies with headquarters in the northern provinces.
10
To provide insurance coverage for.
Does my policy cover accidental loss?
11
To be enough money for.
We've earned enough to cover most of our costs.
Ten dollars should cover lunch.
12
To supply with funds; to settle or pay the costs for; to foot the bill for.
Dad, when I get to University, will I be covered?
13
To act as a replacement.
I need to take off Tuesday. Can you cover for me?
14
Broadcasting, Media To air or run locally originated material in place of network material during an internal spot break in a syndicated program.
I wish that popular afternoon show would let us cover some of their commercials – their national stuff can be so annoying.
15
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music To make a cover version of (a song that was originally recorded by another artist).
I'm surprised that the band covered this Beatles song so well.
› To protect, to guard.
16
To protect from attack in general, to guard.
Pent up in Utica he vainly forms A poor Epitome of Roman Greatneſs, And, cover’d with Numidian Guards, directs A feeble Army, and an empty Senate, Remnants of mighty Battels fought in vain.1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 2:
17
Government, Law enforcement, Military, Politics, War To protect using an aimed firearm and the threat of firing; or to protect using continuous, heaving fire at or in the direction of the enemy so as to force the enemy to remain in cover; or to threaten using an aimed firearm.
In order to checkmate a king on the side of the board, the five squares adjacent to the king must all be covered.
19
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To defend (mark) a particular player or area.
20
To provide an alibi for (someone); to provide excuses or apologia for (someone); to carry water for someone.
21
To copulate with (said of certain male animals such as dogs and horses).
I would like to have my bitch covered next spring.
The stallion has not covered the mare yet.
1 more example
Among animals in a domesticated or confined state it is easy to find evidence of homosexual attraction, due merely to the absence of the other sex. This was known to the ancients; the Egyptians regarded two male partridges as the symbol of homosexuality, and Aristotle noted that two female pigeons would cover each other if no male was at hand.1927, Havelock Ellis, Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2 (of 6):
22
To extend over a given period of time or range, to occupy, to stretch over a given area.
23
To traverse or put behind a certain distance.
November 22 — Owing to bad weather all machines flew at a height of 5,000 feet and covered the 90 miles in just 90 minutes . November 23 — During fourth lap ...1915, Aerial Age:
It had covered better than 840 miles in just a few hours more than seven days.32 The apparently clumsily managed shuffle through the various railroad nets ...1989, Robert K. Krick, Parker's Virginia Battery, C.S.A.:
24
Ambitransitive, Dated To arrange plates, etc. on (a table) in preparation for a meal.
[…] he told plaintiff he would cover the table, and furnish it the same as the one he was sitting at, and that he should be waited upon and served the same as those on the other side of the room.1892, George Chase, Leading Cases Upon the Law of Torts, page 46:
[…] the chef can send a runner to see why not and if the waiter has forgotten about the order, a runner can cover and serve.1989, Caterer & Hotelkeeper, volume 180, page 83: