cover

1 a piece placed over an open container to hold in, protect, or conceal its contents where's the cover for the cookie jar? Synonyms cap, lid, top Related Words dome, hood, roof; capsule, case, casing, covering, housing, jacket, sheath, shell

2 means or method of defending provided cover while their comrades ran for safety Synonyms aegis (also egis), ammunition, armor, buckler, defense, guard, protection, safeguard, screen, security, shield, wall, wardRelated Words arm, armament, munitions, weapon, weaponry; fastness, fort, fortress, palisade, strongholdNear Antonyms aggression, assault, attack, offense (or offence), offensive

3 something that encloses another thing especially to protect it put the restaurant menus in clear plastic covers so that they would last longer Synonyms armor, capsule, casing, cocoon, case, covering, encasement, housing, hull, husk, jacket, pod, sheath, shellRelated Words cartridge, cassette (also casette); bark, crust; carapace, house, mail, panoply, plate, plating, shield; cuticle, hide, skin; envelope, package, wrapper; backing, coating, coverture, facing

4 a person or thing that takes the place of another people may only skip their shifts if they find a cover for themselves first Synonyms backup, substitute, designated hitter, fill-in, locum tenens, pinch hitter, relief, replacement, reserve, stand-in, subRelated Words alternate, understudy; apology, makeshift, stopgap; agent, assignee, attorney, commissary, delegate, deputy, envoy, factor, procurator, proxy, rep, representative, surrogate; assistant, reliever, second; successor, superseder

5 a raised covering over something for decoration or protection all of the exhibits at the fair are under cover, so the weather won't be a factor Synonyms awning, ceiling, canopy, roof, tentRelated Words dome, marquee, pavilion; arbor, bower, pergola; screen, shade, shelter, shield, sunshade, umbrella; canvas (also canvass), fly

6 something that covers or conceals like a piece of cloth under cover of friendship the con man insinuated himself in the lives of the unsuspecting couple Synonyms blanket, cope, cloak, covering, coverture, cover-up, curtain, hood, mantle, mask, pall, penumbra, robe, shroud, veil, wrapsRelated Words blind, concealer, screen, shield; fig leaf, Potemkin village, Trojan horse; camouflage, disguise, facade (also façade), face, mask, veneer; gloss, varnish

1 to serve as a replacement usually for a time only a friend covered for me as a hospital volunteer while my family went on vacation Synonyms fill in, pinch-hit, stand in, step in, sub, substitute, take over Related Words understudy; relieve, spell; double (as)

2 to form a layer over by morning a foot of snow covered the ground Synonyms blanket, carpet, coat, overlay, overlie, overspread, sheet Related Words enclose (also inclose), enrobe, enshroud, enswathe, envelop, enwrap, mantle, shawl, shroud, swathe, wrap; cloak, clothe, curtain, veil; circle, encircle, encompass

3 to place a protective layer over better cover your skin with sunblock if you don't want a sunburn, not to mention skin cancer Synonyms screen, shield Related Words cloak, clothe, veil; drape, pall; canopy, cap, crown; disguise, mask, obscure Near Antonyms bare, expose, uncover

4 to have (something) as a subject matter this section of the book covers kitchen makeovers for the enterprising do-it-yourselfer Synonyms concern, deal (with), pertain (to), treat (of)Related Words appertain (to), bear (on or upon), refer (to), relate (to); advert (to), allude (to), cite, glance (upon), instance, mention, name, note, notice, quote, specify, touch (upon); offer, present; contain, embrace, encompass, entail, include, incorporateNear Antonyms exclude, omit; disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight, slur (over); brush (aside or off), reject, shrug off

5 to keep secret or shut off from view covered the foxhole with grass and leaves Synonyms belie, blanket, blot out, cloak, conceal, hide, curtain, disguise, enshroud, mask, obscure, occult, paper over, screen, shroud, suppress, veilRelated Words bury, camouflage, hide (up), smother; gild, gloss (over), varnish, whitewash; becloud, bedim, befog, block, cloud, darken, eclipse, obstruct, occlude, overcast, overshadow, shadeNear Antonyms bring out, present; clarify, illuminate; advertise, air, broadcast, get out, proclaim, publicize, publish, spreadAntonyms bare, disclose, display, divulge, expose, reveal, show, uncloak, uncover, unmask, unveil

6 to make one's way through, across, or over we usually manage to cover a lot of ground in a single day Synonyms course, traverse, cross, cut (across), follow, go, navigate, pass (over), perambulate, peregrinate, proceed (along), track, transit, travelRelated Words hike, traipse, tramp, tread, walk; ride, run; crisscross

7 to pay continued close attention to (something) for a particular purpose I'll cover the reception desk while you take a break Synonyms monitor, watchRelated Words surveil; eye; behold, espy, look, note, notice, observe, regard, see, sight, spy, view, witness; gape, gawk, gaze, glare, goggle, peer, rubberneck, stare; glance, glimpse, peek, peep

8 to drive danger or attack away from covered the wounded soldier until he could be rescued from the downed chopper Synonyms bulwark, defend, fence, fend, forfend, guard, keep, protect, safeguard, screen, secure, shield, wardRelated Words avert, prevent; oppose, resist, withstand; battle, contend, fight, war; conserve, preserve, save; buffer, palisade, picket, wallNear Antonyms bombard, storm; beset, besiege, overrun; capitulate, cave, submit, yieldAntonyms assail, assault, attack