[f. COVE sb.1]
1. An arched or vaulted piece of building, as the curved soffit of a projecting upper part of a building (see quot. 1703), the arching of a coved ceiling; coved work.
1703. T. N., City & C. Purchaser, 122. When Houses are built projecting forth over the Ground-plot, and that is … turn’d with a Quadrant of a Circle … of Timber, which is Lathed and Plaister’d; (under which People may walk dry…) such Work is commonly call’d Coveing.
1742. Mrs. Delaney, Life & Corr., II. 190. The new wall is almost built up, and the covings are now putting up in the little parlour.
1861. Beresf. Hope, Eng. Cathedr. 19th C., vi. 224. Roofs, of which the transverse internal section shows an arch either curvilinear … or many sided (which is the case with a polygonal coving).
1881. Athenæum, 5 Nov., 603/2. The roof, which has the outline of a mansard, or coving.
2. pl. The inclined or curved sides of a fireplace, approaching each other toward the back.
1796. Rumford, Ess., I. 317. The vertical sides of a Fire-place, or the covings (as they are called).
1833. J. Holland, Manuf. Metal, II. 167. The covings, or sides, of a fire-place, are now commonly placed in an oblique position.
1882. Worcester Exhib. Catal., iii. 6. Range, with … plate rack, and tiled covings.
