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

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

Health inspectors found one live adult German cockroach on the cove base tile behind the one-door, upright freezer. —Sacbee.com, 10 Sep. 2025

The Camino del Norte follows Spain’s wild coast, with cliffs, coves, and fishing villages, while the Camino Primitivo winds through rugged mountains, misty valleys, and remote hamlets. —Hayley Domin, AFAR Media, 10 Sep. 2025

Daylight gleamed on the blue and green waters of the cove. —Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025

And for true off-the-radar romance, the Central African island country of São Tomé and Príncipe, offers cocoa-scented rainforests, black-sand coves, and turtle-nesting sights. —Karin Jones, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 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

1756, 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