cover

verb

cov·er | \ ˈkə-vər

covered; covering\ ˈkəv-riŋ

, ˈkə-və- \

Definition of cover

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to guard from attack

b(1) : to have within the range of one's guns : command The ships were covering approaches to the harbor.

(2) : to hold within range of an aimed firearm The deputy covered the sheriff who was apprehending the suspect.

c(1) : to afford protection or security to : insure a policy covering the traveler in all kinds of accidents

(2) : to afford protection against or compensation (see compensation sense 2) for a policy covering loss by fire

d(1) : to guard (an opponent) in order to obstruct a play a linebacker assigned to cover the tight end

(2) : to be in position to receive a throw to (a base in baseball) The shortstop was covering second.

e(1) : to make provision for (a demand or charge) by means of a reserve or deposit Your balance is insufficient to cover the check.

(2) : to maintain a check on especially by patrolling motorcycle police covering the highways

(3) : to protect by contrivance or expedient

2a : to hide from sight or knowledge : conceal cover up a scandal

b : to lie over : envelop a blanket covering her legs

3 : to lay or spread something over : overlay Cover the seedbed with straw.

4a : to spread over Snow covered the hills.

b : to appear here and there on the surface of a region covered with lakes

5 : to place or set a cover or covering over Cover the pot.

6a : to copulate with (a female animal) a horse covers a mare

b : to sit on and incubate (eggs)

7 : to invest with a large or excessive amount of something covered herself with glory

8 : to play a higher-ranking card on (a previously played card)

9 : to have sufficient scope to include or take into account an examination covering a full year's work

10 : to deal with : treat material covered in the first chapter

11a : to have as one's territory or field of activity One sales rep covers the whole state.

b : to report news about reporters covering the campaign

12 : to pass over : traverse Tthe hikers covered 12 miles that day.

13 : to defray the cost of cover expenses

14 : to place one's stake in equal jeopardy with in a bet

15 : to buy securities or commodities for delivery against (an earlier short sale)

16 : to record or perform a cover of (a song)

intransitive verb

1 : to conceal something illicit, blameworthy, or embarrassing from notice —usually used with up cover up for a careless coworker

2 : to act as a substitute or replacement during an absence a stand-in covering for an injured star

cover one's tracks

: to conceal traces in order to elude pursuers or escape detection

cover the ground or cover ground

: to deal with a subject or assignment in a particular manner The new book covers a lot of ground.

cover

noun, often attributive

Definition of cover (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : something that protects, shelters, or guards: such as

a : natural shelter for an animal also : the factors that provide such shelter

b(1) : a position or situation affording protection from enemy fire

(2) : the protection offered by airplanes in tactical support of a military operation

c British : coverage sense 1a

2 : something that is placed over or about another thing:

a : lid, top

b : a binding or case for a book or the analogous part of a magazine also : the front or back of such a binding

c : an overlay or outer layer especially for protection a mattress cover

d : a tablecloth and the other table accessories

e : cover charge

f : roof

g : a cloth used on a bed for warmth or for decoration —usually used in plural lying under the covers

h : something (such as vegetation or snow) that covers the ground

i : the extent to which clouds obscure the sky

3a : something that conceals or obscures under cover of darkness

b : a masking device : pretext The project was a cover for intelligence operations.

4 : an envelope or wrapper for mail

5 : one who substitutes for another during an absence

6 : a recording or performance of a song previously recorded by another performer

under cover

1 : in an envelope or wrapper

2 : under concealment : in secret

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Other Words from cover

Verb

coverable \ ˈkəv-rə-bəl

, ˈkə-və- \ adjective

coverer \ ˈkə-vər-ər

\ noun

Noun

coverless \ ˈkə-vər-ləs

\ adjective

Examples of cover in a Sentence

Verb

The gardener covered the soil with mulch. The furniture had been covered in a protective cloth. We covered the stains on the wall with a fresh coat of paint. You should cover your mouth when you cough. She covered her head with a scarf. tables covered with white linen Lakes cover much of the state. The hikers covered long distances every day. The bird may cover thousands of miles during its migration.

Noun

She placed a cover over the pan so that the oil wouldn't spatter. I put a cover on the sofa to protect it. There's a picture of the author on the book's back cover. The singer is posing in jeans and cowboy boots on the album cover.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Probably the most famous favela in Rio de Janeiro, Santa Marta boasts colorful murals that cover over 75,000 square feet of public square. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "The 25 most colorful cities in the world," 19 Feb. 2019 According to the website of Moscow’s Basmanny district court, Mr. Calvey is charged under the penal code article that covers large-scale fraud. — Ann M. Simmons, WSJ, "Russia Formally Arrests American Businessman," 16 Feb. 2019 Add enough water to just cover and bring to a boil; vigorously simmer for 20 minutes. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Apple and Pear Tart," 15 Feb. 2019 There are similarities to Kepler-107c in our own solar system: Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, has a metallic core that covers around 85 percent of its body. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Mysterious Iron Exoplanet Could Reveal the Secrets of Our Own Solar System," 5 Feb. 2019 Spread across 29 acres, the resort has three enormous infinity pools, two beaches, and a whopping six restaurants, which cover everything from Italian to Peruvian and contemporary Mexican cuisine. — Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, "12 Days of Deals: Fly to Cancún for $240 Round-Trip," 21 Dec. 2018 To cover zits, dark circles, and redness, a good concealer is key. — Elizabeth Denton, Seventeen, "12 Beginner Makeup Tips That'll Totally Change Your Life," 10 Dec. 2018 Pillow shams are meant to cover a regular pillow with a removable, decorative case. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "The Ultimate Bedding Guide: What is a Sham?," 31 Oct. 2018 The two sides have agreed to a preliminary deal covering roughly 28,500 U.S. military personnel in South Korea, though the final details are being sorted out, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman said. — Andrew Jeong, WSJ, "U.S., South Korea Break Impasse Over Military Alliance’s Costs," 5 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Before deleting the Facebook app from her phone, Emma Gannon, 29, a podcaster living in London, grabbed an 80-page notebook with pink grapefruits on the cover from her desk. — Joanna Stern, WSJ, "Sorry I Forgot Your Birthday, I’ve Stopped Checking Facebook," 16 Jan. 2019 In 1997, years before a casting agent discovered Joanna Gaines through a 2012 blog post on DesignMom.com, Darryl Carter was a Washington, D.C.-area lawyer with a passion for decorating when his home landed on the cover of Metropolitan Home magazine. — Laura Fenton, Curbed, "How the ‘modern farmhouse’ look took over," 21 Nov. 2018 The photo even appeared on the cover of a couple of British newspapers today. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "An Adorable New Photo of Baby Prince Louis Has Surfaced, with Kate Middleton and Prince Charles," 9 Nov. 2018 Newsweek even put Klein on its cover in May 1978, calling him the country’s foremost fashion designer. — Chavie Lieber, Vox, "The Calvin Klein brand hired big-name fashion designer Raf Simons to build relevancy. Now he’s out.," 27 Dec. 2018 With their covers about to be blown, the Israeli undercover forces inside the vehicle opened fire, setting off a fierce battle that left eight people dead and triggered a brief but intense round of cross-border fighting. — Fares Akram, The Seattle Times, "Palestinians offer new details of Israel’s botched Gaza raid," 12 Dec. 2018 Shawn Mendes might not be a big fan of his recent Rolling Stone cover, but one of his BFFs is super excited for him. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "Camila Cabello Reveals That She Has A Sweet Nickname for Shawn Mendes and Fans Are Convinced They’re In Love," 29 Nov. 2018 Getty ImagesJulian Finney The world isn't great right now, but GQ Magazine released its covers for the 2018 Men of The Year yesterday, and the three men are my boyfriend Michael B Jordan, and my other boyfriend Henry Golding and Jonah Hill. — Amanda Mitchell, Marie Claire, "Serena Williams Is GQ's 'Woman Of The Year' and Here's Why That's Controversial," 13 Nov. 2018 This fall MoMA Store put Hay’s water bottles, designed by George Sowden, on its catalog cover, which has a circulation of about 1 million, and those have been selling well, too. — Diana Budds, Curbed, "Is America ready for Denmark’s coolest design brand?," 1 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cover.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

23 Feb 2019

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Time Traveler for cover

The first known use of cover was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for cover

cover

verb

English Language Learners Definition of cover

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to put something over, on top of, or in front of (something else) especially in order to protect, hide, or close it

: to be spread over or on top of (something)

: to be over much or all of the surface of (something)

cover

noun

English Language Learners Definition of cover (Entry 2 of 2)

: something that is put around or on top of another thing especially to protect, hide, or close it

: a blanket or sheet on a bed

: the outer part of a book or magazine

See the full definition for cover in the English Language Learners Dictionary

cover

verb

cov·er | \ ˈkə-vər

covered; covering

Kids Definition of cover

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to place or spread something over Cover the pot. She covered her head with a cloth and said a special prayer …— Lois Lowry, Number the Stars

2 : to be spread with or extend over much or all of the surface of His face is covered with freckles.

3 : to form a covering over Snow covered the ground.

4 : to pass over or through The bikers covered 50 miles a day.

5 : to provide protection to or against Soldiers covered the landing with artillery.

6 : to maintain a check on by patrolling Police cover the highways.

7 : to hide from sight or knowledge I covered my embarrassment.

8 : to deal with as a subject The test will cover everything we've studied so far.

9 : to have as a field of activity or interest Our newspaper employs a reporter covering the courthouse.

10 : to provide insurance for

cover

noun

Kids Definition of cover (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : something that protects, shelters, or hides

2 : a covering (as a blanket) used on a bed

3 : a binding or a protecting case a book cover

4 : something that is placed over or about another thing : lid, top a mattress cover the cover of a box

cover

transitive verb

cov·er

Legal Definition of cover

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : insure this policy covers other family drivers

2 : to give protection against or compensation or indemnification for doesn't cover flood damage

intransitive verb

: to obtain cover where the seller anticipatorily repudiates a contract and the buyer does not cover — Cosden Oil & Chemical Co. v. Karl O. Helm AG, 736 F.2d 1064 (1984)

cover

noun

Legal Definition of cover (Entry 2 of 2)

: purchase of goods in substitution for those originally contracted for when the seller fails to fulfill the contract the buyer is always free to choose between cover and damages for nondelivery — Uniform Commercial Code also : the substituted goods

Note: Under the Uniform Commercial Code, when a seller does not perform on a contract, the buyer has the option of covering, with the seller paying the difference between the cost of the cover and the original contract price, or seeking damages for nonperformance. Reselling is the seller's comparable remedy when a buyer does not perform under a contract.