Covers

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkʌvɚz/

Definitions

1. To place something over or upon to protect or hide it ; to include or deal with a topic or subject matter
2. Acts as a layer that shields or hides an object ; discusses or handles particular subjects within a scope
3. Serves to cloak or safeguard a surface or item ; embraces or addresses certain content or themes in communication

Etymology: "Cover" comes into English from Old French, where "covrir" (modern "couvrir") was built from Late Latin "coperire," itself from Latin "cooperiō," meaning "to cover completely." That Latin verb combined the intensive prefix "co-" with "operiō," "to close or cover," so the word's core idea is one of thorough concealment. English speakers of the Middle Ages already had native words for covering, such as "thecchen" and "helen," but the French import pushed most of them aside. The original sense was "hide from view," which is also what the related word "covert" still carries. A cover once meant a concealment before it meant a lid or a protective layer. The same root shows up in Spanish "cubrir" and Portuguese "cobrir." "Covers" is simply the third-person singular form of the verb, or the plural of the noun, so it shares this history. The word "recover" looks similar but is a different word in most senses, except when it means "cover again."

Synonyms: envelopes, shrouds, conceals, protects, obscures

Antonyms: reveals, uncovers, exposes, discloses, shows