Illustration of shroud
- 1 shroud 3a
1
: burial garment : winding-sheet, cerement
2
: something that covers, screens, or guards: such as
a
: one of two flanges that give peripheral support to turbine or fan bedding
b
: a guard (as of ceramic or fiberglass) that protects a spacecraft from the heat of launching
3
a
: one of the ropes leading usually in pairs from a ship's mastheads to give lateral support to the masts
b
: one of the cords that suspend the harness of a parachute from the canopy
4
obsolete
: shelter, protection
shrouded; shrouding; shrouds
1
a
: to cut off from view : obscure
trees shrouded by fog
this point is shrouded in uncertainty—
Henry James
Henry James
b
: to veil under another appearance (as by obscuring or disguising)
shrouded the decision in a series of formalities
2
: to dress for burial
3
a
archaic
: to cover for protection
b
obsolete
: conceal
archaic
: to seek shelter
Examples of shroud in a Sentence
Noun
the truth of the affair will always be hidden under a shroud of secrecy
Verb
The mountains were shrouded in fog.
Their work is shrouded in secrecy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Marin Scott, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
The opposition needs to offer a credible safe exit for these regime insiders, convincing them that the Islamic Republic is no longer their shield, but their shroud.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Though shrouded in feigned care for the wrongful death of an unborn child, HB 289 and HB 663 will have horrific effects on women, their families and all medical professionals working in gynecology and obstetrics.
—Eleanor Sobel, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shroud
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Noun
One man is covered with a bloody white shroud inside a body bag.
—Marin Scott, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
The opposition needs to offer a credible safe exit for these regime insiders, convincing them that the Islamic Republic is no longer their shield, but their shroud.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
So unfortunately, right now there's a cloud of mystery still shrouding what's happening here.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Though shrouded in feigned care for the wrongful death of an unborn child, HB 289 and HB 663 will have horrific effects on women, their families and all medical professionals working in gynecology and obstetrics.
—Eleanor Sobel, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shroud
Cite this Entry
“Shroud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shroud. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shroud
1 of 2 noun1
: the cloth placed over or around a dead body
2
: something that covers or shelters like a shroud
a shroud of secrecy
3
: one of the ropes that go from the masthead of a ship to the sides to provide support to the mast
shroud
2 of 2 verb
: to cover with or as if with a shroud
shrouded in fog
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