■ verb
1》 put something on top of or in front of (something) in order to protect or conceal it.
↘envelop in a layer of something.
2》 extend over (an area).
3》 deal with (a subject).
↘(of a rule or law) apply to.
4》 travel (a specified distance).
5》 (of money) be enough to pay (a cost).
↘(of insurance) protect against a liability, loss, or accident.
↘( ~ oneself ) take precautions against future blame or liability.
6》 disguise or conceal.
↘( ~ something up ) try to hide or deny the fact of (a wrongful action).
↘( ~ for ) temporarily take over the job or role of.
7》 aim a gun at.
↘protect (an exposed person) by shooting at the enemy.
↘(in team games) take up a position ready to defend against (an opponent).
↘ Baseball be in position at (a base) ready to catch the ball.
8》 Bridge play a higher card on (a high card).
9》 record or perform a ~ version of (a song).
10》 (of a male animal, especially a stallion) copulate with (a female animal).
■ noun
1》 something that ~s or protects.
↘a thick protective outer part or page of a book or magazine.
↘( ~s ) bedclothes.
2》 physical shelter: they ran for ~.
↘vegetation used as a shelter by hunted animals.
3》 military support for someone in danger.
4》 a means of concealing an illegal or secret activity.
↘an identity adopted by a spy to conceal their true activities.
5》 Ecology the amount of ground ~ed by a vertical projection of the vegetation.
6》 Brit. protection by insurance.
7》 a place setting at a table in a restaurant.
8》 Cricket short for ~ point .
↘( the ~s ) an area of the field consisting of ~ point and extra ~.
9》 (also ~ version ) a recording or performance of a song previously recorded by a different artist.
Phrases
break ~ suddenly leave a place of shelter when being hunted or pursued.
~ one's back informal take steps to avoid attack or criticism.
~ one's tracks conceal evidence of one's actions.
~ the waterfront N. Amer. informal ~ every aspect of something.
from ~ to ~ from beginning to end of a book or magazine.
take ~ take shelter from an attack.
under ~ under a roof or other shelter.
under ~ of concealed by.
↘while pretending to do something.
under separate ~ in a separate envelope.
Derivatives
~able adjective
~ing noun
Origin
ME: from OFr. covrir , from L. cooperire , from co- + operire 'to ~'; sense 7 of the noun from Fr. couvert .