cover

verb

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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 upcover 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 plurallying 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

Other Words from cover Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about cover

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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 The size of a school gym, its walls are covered with big screens. — The Economist, "Geopolitics Governments are erecting borders for data," 22 Feb. 2020 Reporter Shondiin Silversmith covers Indigenous people and communities in Arizona. — The Republic | azcentral.com, "To stay warm this winter, Hopi and Navajo families are forced to look beyond coal," 20 Feb. 2020 The Alamo Area Council, which is headquartered in San Antonio and covers 13 counties, has more than 17,000 scouts and 4,000 adult volunteers. — Sara Cline, ExpressNews.com, "Boy Scouts bankruptcy filing not expected to affect local San Antonio programs," 18 Feb. 2020 The laser covers the entire build volume, and the container of resin actually rotates while it's being exposed to the light. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, "A new spin on 3D printing can produce an object in seconds," 14 Feb. 2020 Rockefeller had the entire mural covered when Rivera refused to erase Lenin from the composition. — Anne Quito, Quartz at Work, "America’s most controversial office-lobby mural has been resurrected," 14 Feb. 2020 The land underneath the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, including the Riverfront Commons construction project, is covered by the river. — Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, "Flood watch: First floodgate goes up in Covington, Kentucky, as waters rise," 14 Feb. 2020 This pillow cover is covered in delicate palm trees. — Nena Farrell, Sunset Magazine, "Rattan, Florals, and Palms: Serena & Lily’s New Spring Collection Is a Vacay State of Mind," 12 Feb. 2020 At that time most of coastal Bangladesh was covered by forests, which Rakhines cleared to establish their settlements. — Saleh Ahmed, The Conversation, "Climate change impacts in Bangladesh show how geography, wealth and culture affect vulnerability," 11 Feb. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun In 1975: Former Attorney General John N. Mitchell and former White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman were sentenced to 2 1/2 to 8 years in prison for their roles in the Watergate cover-up (each ended up serving a year and a-half). — oregonlive, "Heather Canyon run described as ‘ice sheet’ on day snowboarder died at Mt. Hood Meadows: Morning Briefing for Friday, Feb. 21," 21 Feb. 2020 Contest winners named Nika Zhbankov, a fourth-grader at Moreland Hills Elementary School, was the winner of the school’s yearbook cover design contest. — Ed Wittenberg, cleveland, "Want to create something cool? Come to Orange Schools’ Fab Lab March 18," 21 Feb. 2020 In 1975, former attorney general John N. Mitchell and former White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman were sentenced to 2 1/2 to 8 years in prison for their roles in the Watergate cover-up (each served a year and a-half). — BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 21 Feb. 2020 But our cover leader argues that the threat to big tech firms has not gone away. — The Economist, "The week in charts So much for the techlash?," 21 Feb. 2020 While the covers were intended to make canonical works more... — Adam Kirsch, WSJ, "Whose Stories Should We Read?," 20 Feb. 2020 Only bottles with a black base and cover of the spout are being recalled. — Ella Torres, ABC News, "Nearly 6 million Contigo water bottles recalled over a choking hazard," 20 Feb. 2020 That means the lawsuit cover tens of thousands of players. — Henry Schulman, SFChronicle.com, "Major League Baseball plans to raise minor-league salaries in 2021," 14 Feb. 2020 Soldiers will be better informed and able to trade fire on the battlefield while benefiting from better cover and protection. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "'Mixed Reality' Goggles Will Give U.S. Army Soldiers Super Vision," 13 Feb. 2020

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 2020

Cite this Entry

“Cover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cover. Accessed 27 Feb. 2020.

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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.

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