Forms: 4 cuvur, 4–5 couere, 5–7 couer, 5– cover: see also CURE sb.2 [Mainly f. COVER v.1; but it is possible that in early use the word represented F. covert, which had in nom. sing. and in pl. couers, whence an Eng. sing. cover was natural. Sense 7 represents mod.F. couvert.]
I. 1. That which covers: anything that is put or laid over, or that naturally overlies or overspreads an object, with the effect of hiding, sheltering or enclosing it; often a thing designed or appropriated for the purpose.
c. 1320. Sir Beues, 4611 (MS. C). Of golde he made þe ryche couere [v.r. cornere].
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 55. Þe arke or couere of god was conquerid into enemyes hondis.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., I. iv. 60. Her Waggon Spokes made of long Spinners legs: the Couer of the wings of Grashoppers. Ibid. (1593), Rich. II., III. ii. 154. That small Modell of the barren Earth, Which serues as Paste, and Couer to our Bones.
1607. Topsell, Serpents (1653), 754. They climbe up to the sieling, or cover of the house.
1684. Burnet, Th. Earth (1697), I. vii. 61 (J.). The Fountains could be strengthened no other way than by making a strong cover or Arch over them.
1691. Ray, Creation (1714), I. 71 (J.). With your Hand or any other cover you stop the Vessel.
1793. Washington, Lett., 12 Dec. Wks. 1891, XII. 362. To the building of such houses, there would be no limitation, nor to that of thatch for the cover of them.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 115. Having a good deal of cover of earth, &c. upon them, they were then chiefly wrought underground.
1823. W. Buckland, Reliq. Diluv., 185. The alluvial cover which rests upon the rocks of this district.
b. Often as the second element in combinations.
1653. H. More, Antid. Ath., III. iii. (1662), 93. The violent flapping of a Chest-cover, no hand touching it.
1843. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., I. 264. Needlework … in the shape of chair-covers, sofa-covers.
2. spec. a. The lid of any vessel, receptacle, or aperture, whether detached or not.
1459. Paston Lett., I. 475. One white stondyng cuppe with a cover of silver.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb. (1586), 26. You shall but seeke to cover every pot with one cover.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 99. Take the Vessel from the Fire, and take off the Cover.
1694. Sev. Late Voy., II. (1711), 130. He hath a great many small holes on the Cover of his Gills.
1726. Shelvocke, Voy. round World (1757), 253. The … covers of the ship’s coppers, were converted into frying-pans.
1874. Micklethwaite, Mod. Par. Churches, 39. The font requires a cover to keep out the dust.
† b. A defensive or protective covering for the body; a piece of armor; an article of clothing. Cover of the eyes: the visor (of a helmet). Obs.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 2359. He hitte Amanas … In the cubur [? error for cuvur] of the eyghe.
1540. Hyrde, trans. Vives’ Instr. Chr. Wom., I. ix. (1592), F iv (R.). This apparell … is the couer of Antichrist.
1674. trans. Scheffer’s Lapland, xvii. 88. Of the skin of the bird called Loom … they make not an unbecoming cover for the head.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., II. 20. They expose themselves … without any cover upon their breasts.
c. Of a book: (a) The binding, wrapper, or case, as a whole; (b) each of the boards or sides, as in from cover to cover; (c) the quantity of cloth required for a case.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., I. iii. 88. This precious Booke of Loue … onely lacks a Couer.
1628. Earle, Microcosm., vii. (1811), 23. A manuscript [he] pores on everlastingly, especially if the cover be all moth eaten.
1710. Hearne, Collect. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), III. 9. Bound up in Past-Board Covers.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, I. 422. These three materials are then passed on to the case-makers: one of whom takes possession of the pile of cloth covers.
1891. Law Times, XCII. 99/1. The books are beautiful specimens of scrivenery, and from cover to cover may be searched without finding a blot.
d. The wrapper of a letter or of any postal packet.
Hence, to address to (a person) under cover to (another). In a general sense including an envelope (which is a special kind of cover); but spec. used of a wrapper cut and folded differently from an envelope, as in the ‘Mulready covers.’
1748. Richardson, Clarissa, Wks. 1883, IV. 374. I acknowledge her goodness to me, with a pencil only, on the cover of a letter sealed up.
1798. Jane Austen, Northang. Abb. (1833), II. xiii. 191. Direct to me at Lord Longtown’s, and, I must ask it, under cover to Alice.
1804. Pitt, in G. Rose’s Diaries (1860), II. 75. I send this under Hammond’s cover to the Postmaster.
1876. World, V. 11. The task of addressing the covers to the subscribers does not devolve upon him [the Editor].
e. In various technical uses.
1823. P. Nicholson, Pract. Build., 583. Cover, in slating; the part of the slate that is hidden; the exposed part being called the margin.
1839. R. S. Robinson, Naut. Steam Eng., 100. That part of the sliding faces projecting beyond the depth of the port, is called the cover, and is much greater on the steam side of the port than on the eduction side.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Cover, a miner’s box in which ore is removed from the rock or strata.
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., Cover (machinery), the cap-head or end-plate of a cylinder.
3. That which serves for shelter or concealment; a shelter, a hiding-place.
14[?]. Stasyons of Jerus., 400 (Horstm.). Þan ranne we ferre & nere As conys doth to þer couere.
1611. Bible, Wisd. x. 16–7. She [Wisedome] … was vnto them for a couer by day.
1751. Narr. of Wager, 28. The Tree … not proving so good a Cover from the Rains as we wished.
1776. N. Greene, in Sparks, Corr. Amer. Rev. (1853), I. 298. As the state of the barracks is, they would find exceeding good cover for the men.
1827. J. F. Cooper, Prairie, I. iii. 49. They will be here afore you can find a cover.
1884. L’pool Mercury, 3 March, 5/2. When driven from their entrenchments they clung to every bit of cover the surface of the country afforded them.
† b. fig. Support, countenance. Obs.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 24. Beggerly fragmentes of mans invention, beyng without all cover of Scriptures, yea rather contrary to the same.
c. † In cover: in concealment (obs.). Under cover: under a screening or sheltering eminence, roof, etc. Under (the) cover of: under the protection or shelter of.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 10513. Kepis you in couer, cleane out of sight!
1573. in Picton, L’pool Munic. Rec. (1883), I. 110. Sydenham … was in cover all the while.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., VIII. (1843), 508/2. [They] being compelled to lodge in the field, which grew now to be very cold, whilst his army was under cover.
1726. Shelvocke, Voy. Round World (1757), 219. Whilst others got up water-buts, and slept in them under the cover of a tree.
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, xxxi. We can glide under cover of the woods with less hazard of being seen.
1838–43. Arnold, Hist. Rome, III. xliii. 143. These feed … under cover of the darkness.
1885. Grant, Mem., xx. I. 274. The troops … lay crouched under cover of the river bank.
d. fig. Something that hides, conceals or screens; a cloak, screen, disguise, pretence. Phr. Under (the) cover of.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, IV. i. 117. Death is the fairest couer for her shame.
1643. Burroughes, Exp. Hosea, vii. (1652), 277. I will take their covers from their … eyes … Wicked men have divers covers for their lewdnesse.
1751. Jortin, Serm. (1771), VI. iv. 70. Presumption which loves to conceal itself under the cover of humility.
1762. Hume, Hist. Eng. (1806), IV. lxi. 564. Precautions, which were probably nothing but covers to his ambition.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), II. 272. Under the cover of rhetoric much higher themes are introduced.
e. Concealment, disguise; underhand or deceitful conduct. rare.
1796. Burke, Regic. Peace, i. Wks. VIII. 198. We ourselves with a little cover, others more directly, pay a tribute to the republick of Algiers.
1848. C. Brontë, Jane Eyre (1857), 7. I never saw a girl of her age with so much cover.
f. Thieves’ slang. A confederate who screens the operations of a thief or pickpocket.
1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict., s.v. Cover.… Any body whose dress or stature renders him particularly eligible for this purpose [covering a thief] is said to be a good cover.
1863. W. B. Jerrold, Signals of Distress, 106. The ranks of … the passers of base coin, shofulmen, ‘wires,’ and ‘covers’ will be sensibly strengthened.
4. Hunting. Woods, undergrowth, and bushes, that serve to shelter or conceal wild animals and game; = COVERT 3. Also in comb., as fox-cover.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. xi. Never frighted Hare fled to Cover … with more terror of mind than I to this retreat.
1781. P. Beckford, Hunting (1802), 264. You hunt a cover that is full of foxes.
1796. A. Duncan, Mariner’s Chron. (1805), III. 275. The rhinoceros … broke cover at last and appeared on the plain.
a. 1839. Praed, Poems (1864), II. 55. She wields the gun, or beats the cover.
1887. Sir R. H. Roberts, In the Shires, ii. 22. The fox trots out … but, not liking the aspect of affairs, turns back to the cover.
5. Comm. Funds adequate to cover or meet a liability or secure against contingent loss.
1883. Manch. Guardian, 17 Oct., 5/1. Warden supplying the necessary ‘cover’ when losses were reported in order to avert failure.
1884. Law Rep. 13 Q. Bench Div. 104. Gledhill deposited the certificate with his stockbroker, by way of cover of security for all … advances in the course of business.
Mod. The Shanghai branch remits bills of exchange as cover for its own drafts on London. Having reason to expect a rise in Mexicans he bought £1,000 stock, and deposited £10 as £1 per cent. cover; contrary to expectation the stock declined, and he lost his £10 cover.
6. See COVER v.1 6.
1842. H. Stephens, Bk. of Farm (1851), II. 155. Retaining the horse all night, and offering her a fresh cover in the morning.
II. [After F. couvert, (1) ‘the covering or furniture of a Table for the meale of a prince’ (Cotgr.), the cloth, plates, knives, forks, etc., with which a table is covered or laid; (2) the portion of these appropriated to each guest.]
7. The utensils laid for each person’s use at table; the plate, napkin, knife, fork, spoon, etc.
a. 1612. Harington, Nugæ Ant. (1779), II. 213. I muste go before the breakfastinge covers are placede.
1705. Lond. Gaz., No. 4116/1. 4 large Tables, with 50 Covers each.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, vi. Covers were laid for four.
1870. Lowell, Study Wind., 99. We get a card of invitation to a dinner of sixty covers at John Hamock’s.
III. 8. Combinations: attrib. and appositional, as cover-boat (see quot.); cover-clay, a bed of clay covering the strata of a quarry, mine, etc.; cover-feather = COVERT 5; cover-glass, a glass used as a cover, spec. a slip of glass used to cover a microscopical preparation; cover-hack, a horse ridden in a cover (for game); cover-hole, a hole provided with a lid or cover; cover-pan, a pan having a cover; cover-plate, a plate serving as a cover; the removable plate of a lock, a cap-plate or cap; cover-shooting, shooting (of game) in a cover; cover-side, the side of a fox-cover, where the hunters congregate; cover-way, ‘the recess or internal angle left in a piece of masonry or brick-work to receive the roofing’ (Gwilt).
1884. Pall Mall Gaz, 16 Aug., 1/2. (Queensland Labour-traffic) The second boat … called the *‘cover’ boat, keeps a short distance outside the surf, in order to cover the retreat of the trading boat.
1789. J. Williams, Mineral Kingd. (1810), 146. In some places this species of compounded *cover-clay contains specimens of all the strata found in the neighbourhood.
1769. J. Wallis, Nat. Hist. Northumbld., I. ix. 336–7. The plumage of the whole body is white, except the quill and the *cover feathers of the wings.
1881. Darwin, in Life & Lett. (1887), III. 347. If slices of root under a *cover-glass are irrigated.
1883. Med. News, IV. 163. Place a drop of Canada-balsam on the cover-glass and mount carefully.
1841. J. T. Hewlett, Parish Clerk, I. 228. He had taken the liberty of detaining six hunters and two *cover-hacks.
1669. Phil. Trans., IV. 1066. Houses … open up to the thatch with a *Cover-hole or two to vent the steam of the panns.
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 27. Place the *Cover-plate … so as the Centre of the Cover-plate, may stand directly over and against the Centre of the Main-plate.
1833. J. Holland, Manuf. Metal, II. 194. The cover-plate … which will just cover the opening of the box.
1864. Reader, No. 88. 294/3. Better exercise than *cover-shooting.
1881. J. Grant, Cameronians, I. i. 2. I’ll have … Cecil Falconer over here, for a few days’ cover-shooting.
1810. Sporting Mag., XXXVI. 269. To ride to the *cover side and see the fox found.
1882. Gentleman’s Ann., 103. More highly esteemed at the cover-side, on the cricket-field and the river.
1823. P. Nicholson, Pract. Build., Gloss. 583. *Cover-way in roofing.
