The meaning of Covering

noun

A sheet of canvas or other material stretched on a frame and used to keep the sun or rain off a shop window, doorway, or ship's deck.

Usage examples:

Maybe it's because stripes evoke memories of canvas deck chairs and awnings at fêtes.

noun

A piece of material supported by a frame and used to protect part of a building from the sun or rain

noun

An even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.

Usage examples:

She lost her balance and fell

verb

Put (something) in a steady position so that it does not fall.

Usage examples:

A mug that she balanced on her knee

noun

Harmonious arrangement or relation of parts within a whole

verb

Put or hide underground.

Usage examples:

He buried the box in the back garden

verb

Place in a grave or tomb

verb

To put a dead body into the ground

Usage examples:

My father is buried in kentucky., squirrels bury nuts and dig them up later to eat them., she burie…

noun

The disguising of military personnel, equipment, and installations by painting or covering them to make them blend in with their surroundings.

Usage examples:

On the trenches were pieces of turf which served for camouflage

verb

Hide or disguise the presence of (a person, animal, or object) by means of camouflage.

Usage examples:

The caravan was camouflaged with netting and branches from trees

noun

A kind of soft, flat hat, typically with a peak.

Usage examples:

A man wearing a raincoat and a flat cap

verb

Short for percussion cap.

noun

Short for capitalization.

Usage examples:

Mid-cap companies

noun

A cover or shell that protects or encloses something.

Usage examples:

A waterproof casing

verb

Surround in a material or substance.

Usage examples:

The towers are of steel cased in granite

noun

A container or cover that goes around something to hold it together or protect it

Usage examples:

A metal casing enclosed the three-inch thick cable.

noun

A sleeveless outdoor overgarment that hangs loosely from the shoulders.

Usage examples:

He threw his cloak about him

verb

Dress in a cloak.

Usage examples:

They sat cloaked and hooded

noun

A loose outer piece of clothing without sleeves that fastens at the neck and hangs from the shoulders

Usage examples:

The agents operate under a cloak of secrecy., the deal was cloaked in secrecy.

noun

A weight that balances another weight.

Usage examples:

The trolley used a counterbalance and leverage action to reduce the effort of lifting loads

verb

(of a weight) balance (another weight).

Usage examples:

The sitter's weight counterbalances the tilting pressure on the backrest

verb

To have an equal but opposite effect on something in a positive way, so that it does not have too much of a particular characteristic

Usage examples:

Investment in forestry projects is intended to counterbalance the effects of carbon emissions., sho…

verb

Put something on top of or in front of (something), especially in order to protect or conceal it.

Usage examples:

The table had been covered with a checked tablecloth

noun

A thing which lies on, over, or around something, especially in order to protect or conceal it.

Usage examples:

A seat cover

verb

To put or spread something over something, or to lie on the surface of something

Usage examples:

Once the rice comes to a boil, turn down the flame and cover the pot., she covered the child with a…

noun

The removable cover of a vehicle or aircraft engine.

Usage examples:

The aircraft had full naca cowlings and new nacelles while fabric replaced metal covering on the co…

noun

A metal cover for an engine, especially an aircraft engine

noun

A small bowl-shaped container for drinking from, typically having a handle.

Usage examples:

It shows men drinking from porcelain cups without handles, and coffee being served from a metal or …

verb

Form (one's hand or hands) into the curved shape of a cup.

Usage examples:

‘hey!’ dad shouted, with his hands cupped around his mouth

abbreviation

Cambridge university press.

verb

Give (someone or oneself) a different appearance in order to conceal one's identity.

Usage examples:

We took elaborate measures to disguise ourselves as locals

noun

A means of altering one's appearance to conceal one's identity.

Usage examples:

I put on dark glasses as a disguise

verb

Fix (an object) firmly and deeply in a surrounding mass.

Usage examples:

He had an operation to remove a nail embedded in his chest

noun

A journalist who is attached to a military unit during a conflict.

Usage examples:

The ‘real superstars of this war were those media journalists who were embeds,’ wilkinson went on, …

verb

Surround or close off on all sides.

Usage examples:

The entire estate was enclosed with walls

verb

To surround

Usage examples:

The garden is enclosed by four walls., please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

verb

To include something inside a letter or parcel

Usage examples:

Apply in writing, enclosing a current cv, to the address below., please find enclosed an applicatio…

verb

Surround; envelop.

Usage examples:

He shut off the engine and silence enfolded them

verb

To closely hold or completely cover someone or something

Usage examples:

Enfold someone in your arms he enfolded her in his arms.

verb

(of a natural force) sweep over (something) so as to surround or cover it completely.

Usage examples:

The cafe was engulfed in flames

verb

To surround and cover completely

Usage examples:

Floodwaters engulfed midwestern farmlands.

verb

Envelop completely and hide from view.

Usage examples:

Heavy grey clouds enshrouded the city

verb

To cover something so that it cannot be seen clearly

Usage examples:

Be enshrouded in the planet venus is enshrouded in thick clouds., the whole affair was enshrouded i…

verb

Wrap up, cover, or surround completely.

Usage examples:

A figure enveloped in a black cloak

verb

To cover or surround something completely

Usage examples:

The entire area was enveloped in fog.

noun

A flat paper container with a sealable flap, used to enclose a letter or document.

Usage examples:

They are all instant communications that are far less bother than putting pen to paper, finding an …

noun

A usually rectangular paper container for a letter

Usage examples:

Don’t forget to put a stamp on the envelope.

noun

A flat, usually square or rectangular, paper container for a letter

Usage examples:

A brown/manila envelope, a sealed envelope, the papers were handed to me in a transparent plastic e…

noun

The management of large amounts of money, especially by governments or large companies.

Usage examples:

The firm's finance department

verb

Provide funding for (a person or enterprise).

Usage examples:

The health service is financed almost entirely by the taxpayer

verb

The commercial activity of providing funds and capital

noun

A sum of money saved or made available for a particular purpose.

Usage examples:

He had set up a fund to coordinate economic investment

verb

Provide with money for a particular purpose.

Usage examples:

The world bank refused to fund the project

noun

A sum of money saved and made available for a particular purpose

Usage examples:

A scholarship fund for college students, the company’s pension fund, he plans to donate money to fu…

verb

Put or keep out of sight.

Usage examples:

He hid the money in the house

noun

A camouflaged shelter used to observe wildlife at close quarters.

Usage examples:

We expect the camera crew to sit patiently in a camouflaged hide, waiting for the wildlife to wande…

noun

The skin of an animal, especially when tanned or dressed.

Usage examples:

We'll skin them right here and preserve their hides

noun

A building for human habitation, especially one that consists of a ground floor and one or more upper storeys.

Usage examples:

My wife and i are moving to a new house

verb

Old-fashioned term for bingo.

A dwelling that serves as living quarters for a family

noun

Houses and flats considered collectively.

Usage examples:

A housing development

noun

A cloth covering put on a horse for protection or ornament.

Usage examples:

Outside there would be gorgeously caparisoned elephants and horses with rich housings, palanquins a…

verb

Provide with shelter or accommodation.

Usage examples:

They converted a disused cinema to house twelve employees

verb

Dip or submerge in a liquid.

Usage examples:

Immerse the paper in water for twenty minutes

verb

To involve someone completely in an activity

Usage examples:

She immersed herself wholly in her work., immerse the egg in boiling water., the course offers tota…

noun

An outer garment extending either to the waist or the hips, typically having sleeves and a fastening down the front.

Usage examples:

He put his hand in his jacket pocket

verb

Cover with a jacket.

Usage examples:

While most bullets have been jacketed with copper-zinc alloy, a variety of other hard metals, inclu…

noun

A short coat or jacket made of a thick woollen cloth, typically with a plaid design.

noun

A removable or hinged cover for the top of a container.

Usage examples:

A dustbin lid

noun

A movable top or cover (hinged or separate) for closing the opening at the top of a box, chest, jar, pan, etc.

noun

A cover that can be lifted up or removed from a container

collocation

Form or compose

phrasal verb

Invent a story or plan.

Usage examples:

She enjoyed making up tall tales

phrasal verb

(of parts) compose or constitute a whole.

Usage examples:

Women make up 56 per cent of the student body

noun

A covering for all or part of the face, worn as a disguise, or to amuse or frighten others.

Usage examples:

Even the tots wore their costumes and enjoyed the fun, peering through their grotesque masks, and f…

verb

A covering made of fibre or gauze and fitting over the nose and mouth to protect against air pollutants, or made of sterile gauze and worn to prevent infection of the wearer or (in surgery) of the patient.

noun

A covering for all or part of the face, worn for protection or to hide the face

Usage examples:

A gas mask, an exhibit of african masks, the children all wore halloween masks that were supposed t…

verb

Wrap or cover for warmth.

Usage examples:

Everyone was muffled up in coats and scarves

noun

A receptacle in a furnace or kiln in which things can be heated without contact with combustion products.

Usage examples:

A muffle furnace

verb

To make a sound quieter and less clear

Usage examples:

Ted and i looked at each other with open mouths and muffled our laughs in our sleeves., i could hea…

adjective

Not discovered or known about; uncertain.

Usage examples:

His origins and parentage are obscure

verb

Keep from being seen; conceal.

Usage examples:

Grey clouds obscure the sun

adjective

Not known to many people

Usage examples:

An obscure 18th-century painter, official policy has changed for reasons that remain obscure.

noun

A consideration or amount that diminishes or balances the effect of an opposite one.

Usage examples:

Widow's bereavement allowance is an offset against income

verb

Counteract (something) by having an equal and opposite force or effect.

Usage examples:

Donations to charities can be offset against tax

verb

To balance one influence against an opposing influence so that no great difference results

Usage examples:

The extra cost of commuting to work from the suburbs is offset by cheaper rents.

verb

Give (someone) money that is due for work done, goods received, or a debt incurred.

Usage examples:

The traveller paid a guide to show him across

noun

The money paid to someone for regular work.

Usage examples:

An entitlement to sickness pay

verb

Seal (the deck or seams of a wooden ship) with pitch or tar to prevent leakage.

Usage examples:

An open groove between the planks had to be payed by running in hot pitch from a special ladle

idiom

Act or give recompense in recognition of someone's behavior or actions

phrasal verb

Repay a loan to someone.

Usage examples:

A regular amount was deducted from my wages to pay her back

phrasal verb

Take revenge on someone.

Usage examples:

When someone does you wrong, the first instinct is to pay them back for hurting you

verb

Keep safe from harm or injury.

Usage examples:

He tried to protect kelly from the attack

verb

Shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage

verb

To keep someone or something safe from injury, damage, or loss

Usage examples:

He says he was protecting his home and family., a citizens’ group worked to protect forest areas.

verb

(of a cell, gland, or organ) produce and discharge (a substance).

Usage examples:

Insulin is secreted in response to rising levels of glucose in the blood

verb

Conceal; hide.

Usage examples:

The assets had been secreted in swiss bank accounts

verb

To produce and release liquid, esp. from the cells or body

Usage examples:

The thyroid gland secretes hormones that affect growth., [ c ] nasal secretions

noun

A close-fitting cover for the blade of a knife or sword.

Usage examples:

Drawing the sword free of the sheath she inspected the blade.

noun

Protective casing or covering.

Usage examples:

We run each bit of riser through our fingers, checking visually and by feel for any cuts, snags or …

verb

Put (a weapon such as a knife or sword) into a sheath.

Usage examples:

I sheathed my dagger

noun

A close-fitting covering designed to protect something

Usage examples:

The frame is covered by a glass and metal sheathing., the dome's exterior has been covered with pro…

noun

A place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger.

Usage examples:

Huts like this are used as a shelter during the winter

verb

Protect or shield from something harmful, especially bad weather.

Usage examples:

The hut sheltered him from the cold wind

noun

Something that gives protection, such as a building or tent, or the protection provided

Usage examples:

[ c ] we took the stray dog to an animal shelter., [ u ] the wall gave us some shelter from the win…

noun

A broad piece of metal or another suitable material, held by straps or a handle attached on one side, used as a protection against blows or missiles.

Usage examples:

Patrick whipped out his new shield and the shield defended against the blow.

verb

Protect from a danger, risk, or unpleasant experience.

Usage examples:

He pulled the cap lower to shield his eyes from the glare

verb

Armor carried on the arm to intercept blows

noun

A length of cloth or an enveloping garment in which a dead person is wrapped for burial.

Usage examples:

He was buried in a linen shroud

verb

Wrap or dress (a body) in a shroud for burial.

Usage examples:

The body was washed and shrouded

verb

Go down below the surface of something, especially of a liquid; become submerged.

Usage examples:

He saw the coffin sink below the surface of the waves

noun

A fixed basin with a water supply and outflow pipe.

Usage examples:

I stood at the kitchen sink

noun

Fall or descend to a lower place or level

noun

The part of a garment that wholly or partly covers a person's arm.

Usage examples:

A shirt with the sleeves rolled up

noun

The part of a piece of clothing that covers some or all of the arm

Usage examples:

I wore the black dress with the short sleeves.

verb

Kill (someone) by covering their nose and mouth so that they suffocate.

Usage examples:

I dreamt a stranger was trying to kill me by smothering me with a pillow

noun

A mass of something that stifles or obscures.

Usage examples:

All this vanished in a smother of foam

verb

To prevent a person or animal from getting oxygen

Usage examples:

Several animals were smothered by smoke from the fire., the pasta was smothered with a creamy sauce…

verb

Make (someone) unable to breathe properly; suffocate.

Usage examples:

Those in the streets were stifled by the fumes

noun

A joint in the legs of horses, dogs, and other animals, equivalent to the knee in humans.

Usage examples:

At necropsy all stifle joints were stable to an anterior drawer force with no significant limitatio…

verb

Impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of

verb

Cause (something) to be under water.

Usage examples:

Houses had been flooded and cars submerged

verb

Put under water

verb

To go below the surface of an area of water

Usage examples:

[ t ] take a normal breath and completely submerge yourself., [ i ] seals exhale so they can submer…

verb

Be all round (someone or something).

Usage examples:

The hotel is surrounded by its own gardens

noun

A thing that forms a border or edging round an object.

Usage examples:

An oak fireplace surround

verb

To be around something on all sides

Usage examples:

Snow-capped mountains surround the city., the house was surrounded by dense woods., i’m interested …

noun

A broad strip or area of something.

Usage examples:

Vast swathes of countryside

verb

Wrap in several layers of fabric.

Usage examples:

His hands were swathed in bandages

noun

A piece or strip of material in which something is wrapped.

Usage examples:

They wrapped the body inside a canvas swathe

noun

Heavy-duty waterproof cloth, originally of tarred canvas.

Usage examples:

A stretch of roof is covered with tarpaulin

noun

(a large piece of) heavy waterproof cloth used as a covering

noun

The highest or uppermost point, part, or surface of something.

Usage examples:

Doreen stood at the top of the stairs

adjective

Highest in position, rank, or degree.

Usage examples:

The top button of his shirt

verb

Exceed (an amount, level, or number); be more than.

Usage examples:

Losses are expected to top £100 m this year

verb

Push, fold, or turn (the edges or ends of something, especially a garment or bedclothes) so as to hide or secure them.

Usage examples:

He tucked his shirt into his trousers

noun

A flattened, stitched fold in a garment or material, typically one of several parallel folds put in a garment for shortening, tightening, or decoration.

Usage examples:

A dress with tucks along the bodice

verb

Make a tuck or several folds in

noun

A piece of fine material worn by women to protect or conceal the face.

Usage examples:

A white bridal veil

verb

A membrane which is attached to the immature fruiting body of some toadstools and ruptures in the course of development, either ( universal veil ) enclosing the whole fruiting body or ( partial veil ) joining the edges of the cap to the stalk.

noun

A piece of thin material worn to protect or hide the face or head

Usage examples:

The bride wore a veil made of french lace., fig. a veil of secrecy surrounded the appointment of th…

noun

A piece of paper, plastic, or foil covering and protecting something sold or for sale.

Usage examples:

A sweet wrapper

noun

A piece of paper or plastic that has been used to cover something

Usage examples:

A candy wrapper

noun

A piece of paper, plastic, or other material used to cover a product

Usage examples:

A brown-paper/cellophane/plastic wrapper, bond/isa/tax-free wrapper the investments can be transfer…

noun

Paper or soft material used to cover or enclose something.

Usage examples:

She took the cellophane wrapping off the box

verb

Cover or enclose in paper or soft material.

Usage examples:

The candles are wrapped in tissue paper

noun

Paper, plastic, etc. used to cover and protect products

Usage examples:

Plastic wrapping, wrapping paper