cove

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈkōv 

1

: a recessed place : concavity: such as

a

: an architectural member with a concave cross section

b

: a trough for concealed lighting at the upper part of a wall

2

: a small sheltered inlet or bay

3

a

: a deep recess or small valley in the side of a mountain

b

: a level area sheltered by hills or mountains

cove

2 of 3

verb

coved; coving

transitive verb

: to make in a hollow concave form

cove

3 of 3

noun (2)

British, old-fashioned

: man, fellow

Synonyms of cove

Noun (1)

• bay
• estuary

Examples of cove in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a secluded cove that smugglers once used

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Beach Club Gran Folies—where Hailey Bieber recently hosted a Rhode pop-up—offered amazing views of Cala Llamp cove. —Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2025

Shed light on special home details like crown molding with cove lighting. —Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 18 Dec. 2025

Kipping scanned the form, blew it up, and put in an illuminated cove that exactly mirrored the bit of paper that Gehry had shaped. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 12 Dec. 2025

The lake’s quiet coves and clear water also offer some of the South’s finest (and most underrated) fishing opportunities for fly anglers. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, den, from Old English cofa; akin to Old High German chubisi hut

Noun (2)

Romani kova thing, person

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1817, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1567, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cove

• clove
• drove
• rove
• shrove
• stove
• strove
• throve
• trove
• wove
• alcove
• mangrove

Kids Definition

cove

noun

ˈkōv

1

: a small sheltered inlet or bay

2

: a level area sheltered by hills or mountains