"cover" in the noun sense

1. screen, cover, covert, concealment

a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something

"a screen of trees afforded privacy"

"under cover of darkness"

"the brush provided a covert for game"

"the simplest concealment is to match perfectly the color of the background"

2. blanket, cover

bedding that keeps a person warm in bed

"he pulled the covers over his head and went to sleep"

3. cover, covering, screening, masking

the act of concealing the existence of something by obstructing the view of it

"the cover concealed their guns from enemy aircraft"

4. binding, book binding, cover, back

the protective covering on the front, back, and spine of a book

"the book had a leather binding"

5. covering, natural covering, cover

a natural object that covers or envelops

"under a covering of dust"

"the fox was flushed from its cover"

6. top, cover

covering for a hole (especially a hole in the top of a container

"he removed the top of the carton"

"he couldn't get the top off of the bottle"

"put the cover back on the kettle"

7. cover, covering fire

fire that makes it difficult for the enemy to fire on your own individuals or formations

"artillery provided covering fire for the withdrawal"

8. cover charge, cover

a fixed charge by a restaurant or nightclub over and above the charge for food and drink

9. cover, cover version, cover song

a recording of a song that was first recorded or made popular by somebody else

"they made a cover of a Beatles' song"

10. cover

a false identity and background (especially one created for an undercover agent

"her new name and passport are cover for her next assignment"

"cover" in the verb sense

1. cover

provide with a covering or cause to be covered

"cover her face with a handkerchief"

"cover the child with a blanket"

"cover the grave with flowers"

2. cover, spread over

form a cover over

"The grass covered the grave"

3. cover, continue, extend

span an interval of distance, space or time

"The war extended over five years"

"The period covered the turn of the century"

"My land extends over the hills on the horizon"

"This farm covers some 200 acres"

"The Archipelago continues for another 500 miles"

4. cover

provide for

"The grant doesn't cover my salary"

5. cover, treat, handle, plow, deal, address

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

"This book deals with incest"

"The course covered all of Western Civilization"

"The new book treats the history of China"

6. embrace, encompass, comprehend, cover

include in scope include as part of something broader have as one's sphere or territory

"This group encompasses a wide range of people from different backgrounds"

"this should cover everyone in the group"

7. traverse, track, cover, cross, pass over, get over, get across, cut through, cut across

travel across or pass over

"The caravan covered almost 100 miles each day"

8. report, cover

be responsible for reporting the details of, as in journalism

"Snow reported on China in the 1950's"

"The cub reporter covered New York City"

9. cover

hold within range of an aimed firearm

10. cover

to take an action to protect against future problems

"Count the cash in the drawer twice just to cover yourself"

11. cover, cover up

hide from view or knowledge

"The President covered the fact that he bugged the offices in the White House"

12. cover

protect or defend (a position in a game

"he covered left field"

13. cover

maintain a check on especially by patrolling

"The second officer covered the top floor"

14. cover, insure, underwrite

protect by insurance

"The insurance won't cover this"

15. cover, compensate, overcompensate

make up for shortcomings or a feeling of inferiority by exaggerating good qualities

"he is compensating for being a bad father"

16. cover

invest with a large or excessive amount of something

"She covered herself with glory"

17. cover

help out by taking someone's place and temporarily assuming his responsibilities

"She is covering for our secretary who is ill this week"

18. cover

be sufficient to meet, defray, or offset the charge or cost of

"Is this enough to cover the check?"

19. cover

spread over a surface to conceal or protect

"This paint covers well"

20. shroud, enshroud, hide, cover

cover as if with a shroud

"The origins of this civilization are shrouded in mystery"

21. breed, cover

copulate with a female, used especially of horses

"The horse covers the mare"

22. overlay, cover

put something on top of something else

"cover the meat with a lot of gravy"

23. cover

play a higher card than the one previously played

"Smith covered again"

24. cover

be responsible for guarding an opponent in a game

25. brood, hatch, cover, incubate

sit on (eggs

"Birds brood"

"The female covers the eggs"

26. cover, wrap up

clothe, as if for protection from the elements

"cover your head!"

Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)

Princeton University "About WordNet®."
WordNet®. Princeton University. 2010.

View WordNet® License