I. ˈklōk noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English cloke, from Old North French cloque cloak, bell, from Medieval Latin clocca bell; from the bell-like shape — more at clock
1. : a loose outer garment (as a cape or an overcoat)
2. : something resembling or suggesting an outer garment: as
a. : a distinctive character or role
laying aside the cloak of military commander
a cloak of martyrdom had no appeal for the rebel leader
b. : an encompassing veil serving to exclude interruption or interference
a cloak of secrecy around ships' movements
himself in a cloak of heavy thoughtfulness — Hamilton Basso
c. : a deceptive pretense or disguise to screen an unpalatable fact, devious action, or ulterior design
use by the unscrupulous of watchwords of western democracy as a cloak
of a populace using liberty as a cloak for an attack upon order and stability — John Dewey
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to cover with or as if with a cloak
the inside of the church was cloaked with black drapes
hills cloaked with heather
2.
a. : hide , disguise , screen
preparations cloaked in secrecy
cloaked by diplomatic immunity
the attack upon Germany appeared to cloak an assault upon China — F.L.Paxson
b. : to clothe in a given often false or misleading form or appearance
the stories … perhaps cloak in symbolic form an old quarrel — Catharine McClellan
self-assurance cloaked by a quiet, repressed, and rather deadly manner — W.A.White
Synonyms: see disguise