— shroudless , adj. — shroudlike , adj.
/shrowd/ , n.
1. a cloth or sheet in which a corpse is wrapped for burial.
2. something that covers or conceals like a garment: a shroud of rain.
3. Naut. any of a number of taut ropes or wires converging from both sides on the head of a lower or upper mast of the outer end of a bowsprit to steady it against lateral sway: a part of the standing rigging.
4. Also called shroud line . Aeron. any of a number of suspension cords of a parachute attaching the load to the canopy.
5. Also called shrouding . Mach.
a. (on a nonmetallic gear) an extended metal rim enclosing the ends of the teeth on either side.
b. (on a water wheel) one of two rings of boards or plates enclosing the buckets at their ends.
6. Rocketry. a cone-shaped shield that protects the payload of a launch vehicle.
v.t.
7. to wrap or clothe for burial; enshroud.
8. to cover; hide from view.
9. to veil, as in obscurity or mystery: They shrouded their past lives in an effort to forget.
10. to provide (a water wheel) with a shroud.
11. Obs. to shelter.
v.i.
12. Archaic. to take shelter.
[ bef. 1000; (n.) ME; OE scrud; c. ON skruth; akin to SHRED; (v.) ME shrouden, deriv. of the n.; r. ME shriden, OE scrydan, deriv. of scrud ]
Syn. 1. winding sheet. 8. conceal, screen.