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Added 1 October 2026

cover

/ˈkʌvɚ/ noun

In Latin: operculum Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about cover at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Area or situation which screens a person or thing from view.
The soldiers took cover behind a ruined building.
The front and back of a book, magazine, CD package, etc.
The top sheet of a bed.

adjective

Of or pertaining to the front cover of a book or magazine.
Of, pertaining to, or consisting of cover versions.

verb

To place something over or upon, as to conceal or protect.
He covered the baby with a blanket.
To be over or upon, as to conceal or protect.
The blanket covered the baby.
To be upon all of, so as to completely conceal.
Regular hexagons can cover the plane.

Origin

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”)).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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