covert

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: cov=ert

CIDE DICTIONARY

covert, a. [OF. covert, F. couvert, p. p. of couvrir. See Cover, v. t.].

•  Covered over; private; hid; secret; disguised.  [1913 Webster]

  "How covert matters may be best disclosed."  [1913 Webster]

  "Whether of open war or covert guile."  [1913 Webster]
•  Sheltered; not open or exposed; retired; protected; as, a covert nook.   Wordsworth.  [1913 Webster]

  "Of either side the green, to plant a covert alley."  [1913 Webster]
•  Under cover, authority or protection; as, a feme covert, a married woman who is considered as being under the protection and control of her husband.  [1913 Webster]

Covert way, (Fort.) See Covered way, under Covered.

Syn. -- Hidden; secret; private; covered; disguised; insidious; concealed. See Hidden.

covert, n. [OF. See Covert, a.].

•  A place that covers and protects; a shelter; a defense.  [1913 Webster]

  "A tabernacle . . . for a covert from storm."  [1913 Webster]

  "The highwayman has darted from his covered by the wayside."  [1913 Webster]
•  One of the special feathers covering the bases of the quills of the wings and tail of a bird. See Illust. of Bird.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

covert, adj. & n.
--adj. secret or disguised (a covert glance; covert operations).
--n.
1 a shelter, esp. a thicket hiding game.
2 a feather covering the base of a bird's flight-feather.

Idiom

covert coat a short, light, overcoat worn for shooting, riding, etc.

Derivative

covertly adv. covertness n.

Etymology

ME f. OF covert past part. of covrir COVER

THESAURUS

covert

abri, abstruse, air-raid shelter, armored, asylum, back-door, backstairs, beclouded, between the lines, blanket, blind, bolt-hole, bomb shelter, bombproof, boscage, bosket, brake, bunker, buried, burrow, by stealth, cache, camouflaged, canebrake, cased, cave, ceiled, ceja, chamisal, chaparral, clandestine, cloak, cloaked, close, clouded, coat, coated, concealed, concealment, coped, coppice, copse, copsewood, corner, couch, cover, coverage, covered, covering, covertly, coverture, cowl, cowled, cowling, cranny, cryptic, cubby, cubbyhole, curtain, curtained, cyclone cellar, dark corner, delitescent, den, disguised, dormant, drape, drapery, dugout, earth, eclipsed, encapsulated, encapsuled, encased, enveloped, enwrapped, esoteric, fallout shelter, feather, feathers, feline, filmed, floored, form, foxhole, frith, funk hole, furtive, furtively, guarded, guise, hackle, hanging, harbor, harborage, haven, hibernating, hid, hidden, hideaway, hideout, hidey hole, hiding, hiding place, hidlings, hole, hole-and-corner, hood, hooded, housed, housing, hugger-mugger, hush-hush, in a cloud, in a fog, in camera, in eclipse, in purdah, in the wings, incommunicado, lair, latent, lodge, loricate, loricated, lurking, mail, mantle, mantled, mask, masked, mew, motte, muffled, mysterious, mystic, niche, nook, obfuscated, obscure, obscured, occult, occulted, packaged, pall, paved, plumage, port, possible, potential, privately, privy, quiet, recess, recondite, refuge, retreat, roofed-in, run, safety zone, sanctuary, screen, screened, scummed, secluded, secluse, secret, secret place, sequestered, sheathed, shelled, shelter, shield, shielded, shifty, shroud, shrouded, skulking, sleeping, slinking, slinky, sly, sneaking, sneaky, speculum, stash, stealthily, stealthy, storm cave, storm cellar, sub rosa, submerged, surreptitious, surreptitiously, swathed, tented, thicket, thickset, trench, tunnel, under an eclipse, under cover, under house arrest, under the surface, under wraps, under-the-counter, under-the-table, undercover, undercovert, underground, underhand, underhanded, underlying, unknown, unmanifested, unobtrusive, veil, veiled, vestment, virtual, walled, walled-in, wrapped, wrapped in clouds

ROGET THESAURUS

covert

Refuge

N refuge, sanctuary, retreat, fastness, acropolis, keep, last resort, ward, prison, asylum, ark, home, refuge for the destitute, almshouse, hiding place, sanctum sanctorum, roadstead, anchorage, breakwater, mole, port, haven, harbor, harbor of refuge, seaport, pier, jetty, embankment, quay, covert, cover, shelter, screen, lee wall, wing, shield, umbrella, barrier, dashboard, dasher, wall, fort, anchor, kedge, grapnel, grappling iron, sheet anchor, killick, mainstay, support, cheek, ballast, jury mast, vent-peg, safety valve, blow-off valve, safety lamp, lightning rod, lightning conductor, safety belt, airbag, seat belt, antilock brakes, antiskid tires, snow tires, means of escape, lifeboat, lifejacket, life buoy, swimming belt, cork jacket, parachute, plank, steppingstone, emergency landing, safeguard, any port in a storm, bibere venenum in auro, valet anchora virtus.

Abode

N abode, dwelling, lodging, domicile, residence, apartment, place, digs, pad, address, habitation, where one's lot is cast, local habitation, berth, diggings, seat, lap, sojourn, housing, quarters, headquarters, resiance, tabernacle, throne, ark, home, fatherland, country, homestead, homestall, fireside, hearth, hearth stone, chimney corner, inglenook, ingle side, harem, seraglio, zenana, household gods, lares et penates, roof, household, housing, dulce domum, paternal domicile, native soil, native land, habitat, range, stamping ground, haunt, hangout, biosphere, environment, ecological niche, nest, nidus, snuggery, arbor, bower, lair, den, cave, hole, hiding place, cell, sanctum sanctorum, aerie, eyrie, eyry, rookery, hive, covert, resort, retreat, perch, roost, nidification, kala jagah, bivouac, camp, encampment, cantonment, castrametation, barrack, casemate, casern, tent, building, chamber, xenodochium, tenement, messuage, farm, farmhouse, grange, hacienda, toft, cot, cabin, hut, chalet, croft, shed, booth, stall, hovel, bothy, shanty, dugout, wigwam, pen, barn, bawn, kennel, sty, doghold, cote, coop, hutch, byre, cow house, cow shed, stable, dovecote, columbary, columbarium, shippen, igloo, iglu, jacal, lacustrine dwelling, lacuslake dwelling, lacuspile dwelling, log cabin, log house, shack, shebang, tepee, topek, house, mansion, place, villa, cottage, box, lodge, hermitage, rus in urbe, folly, rotunda, tower, chateau, castle, pavilion, hotel, court, manor-house, capital messuage, hall, palace, kiosk, bungalow, casa, country seat, apartment house, flat house, frame house, shingle house, tenement house, temple, hamlet, village, thorp, dorp, ham, kraal, borough, burgh, town, city, capital, metropolis, suburb, province, country, county town, county seat, courthouse, ghetto, street, place, terrace, parade, esplanade, alameda, board walk, embankment, road, row, lane, alley, court, quadrangle, quad, wynd, close, yard, passage, rents, buildings, mews, square, polygon, circus, crescent, mall, piazza, arcade, colonnade, peristyle, cloister, gardens, grove, residences, block of buildings, market place, place, plaza, anchorage, roadstead, roads, dock, basin, wharf, quay, port, harbor, quarter, parish, assembly room, meetinghouse, pump room, spa, watering place, inn, hostel, hostelry, hotel, tavern, caravansary, dak bungalow, khan, hospice, public house, pub, pot house, mug house, gin mill, gin palace, bar, bar room, barrel house, cabaret, chophouse, club, clubhouse, cookshop, dive, exchange, grill room, saloon, shebeen, coffee house, eating house, canteen, restaurant, buffet, cafe, estaminet, posada, almshouse, poorhouse, townhouse, garden, park, pleasure ground, plaisance, demesne, cage, terrarium, doghouse, pen, aviary, barn, stall, zoo, urban, metropolitan, suburban, provincial, rural, rustic, domestic, cosmopolitan, palatial, eigner Hert ist goldes Werth, even cities have their graves, ubi libertas ibi patria, home sweet home.

Invisibility

N invisibility, invisibleness, nonappearance, imperceptibility, indistinctness, mystery, delitescence, concealment, latency, invisible, imperceptible, undiscernible, indiscernible, unapparent, non-apparent, out of sight, not in sight, a perte de vue, behind the scenes, behind the curtain, viewless, sightless, inconspicuous, unconspicuous, unseen &c (see), covert, eclipsed, under an eclipse, dim, mysterious, dark, obscure, confused, indistinct, indistinguishable, shadowy, indefinite, undefined, ill- defined, ill-marked, blurred, fuzzy, out of focus, misty, delitescent, hidden, obscured, covered, veiled (concealed), full many a flower is born to blush unseen.

Implication

N latency, implication, latency, inexpression, hidden meaning, occult meaning, occultness, mystery, cabala, anagoge, silence, concealment, more than meets the eye, more than meets the ear, Delphic oracle, le dessous des cartes, undercurrent, implication, logical implication, logical consequence, entailment, allusion, insinuation, innuendo, adumbration, something rotten in the state of Denmark, snake in the grass, secret, darkness, invisibility, imperceptibility, latent, lurking, secret, occult, implied, dormant, abeyant, unapparent, unknown, unseen, in the background, invisible, indiscoverable, dark, impenetrable, unspied, unsuspected, unsaid, unwritten, unpublished, unbreathed, untalked of, untold &c, unsung, unexposed, unproclaimed, undisclosed, unexpressed, not expressed, tacit, undeveloped, solved, unexplained, untraced, undiscovered, untracked, unexplored, uninvented, indirect, crooked, inferential, by inference, by implication, implicit, constructive, allusive, covert, muffled, steganographic, understood, underhand, underground, delitescent, concealed, by a side wind, sub silentio, in the background, behind the scenes, behind one's back, on the tip of one's tongue, secretly, between the lines, thereby hangs a tale, tacitum vivit sub pectore vulnus, where there's smoke, there's fire.

Concealment

N concealment, hiding, occultation, mystification, seal of secrecy, screen, disguise, masquerade, masked battery, hiding place, cryptography, steganography, freemasonry, stealth, stealthiness, sneakiness, obreption, slyness, latitancy, latitation, seclusion, privacy, secrecy, secretness, incognita, reticence, reserve, mental reserve, reservation, arriere pensee, suppression, evasion, white lie, misprision, silence, suppression of truth, underhand dealing, closeness, secretiveness, mystery, latency, snake in the grass, secret, stowaway, concealed, hidden, secret, recondite, mystic, cabalistic, occult, dark, cryptic, cryptical, private, privy, in petto, auricular, clandestine, close, inviolate, tortuous, behind a screen, undercover, under an eclipse, in ambush, in hiding, in disguise, in a cloud, in a fog, in a mist, in a haze, in a dark corner, in the shade, in the dark, clouded, wrapped in clouds, wrapt in clouds, invisible, buried, underground, perdu, secluded, undisclosed &c, untold, covert, untraceable, mysterious, irrevealable, inviolable, confidential, esoteric, not to be spoken of, unmentionable, obreptitious, furtive, stealthy, feline, skulking, surreptitious, underhand, hole and corner, sly, secretive, evasive, reserved, reticent, uncommunicative, buttoned up, close, close as wax, taciturn, secretly, in secret, in private, in one's sleeve, in holes and corners, in the dark, januis clausis, with closed doors, a huis clos, hugger mugger, a la derobee, under the cloak of, under the rose, under the table, sub rosa, en tapinois, in the background, aside, on the sly, with bated breath, sotto voce, in a whisper, without beat of drum, a la sourdine, behind the veil, beyond mortal ken, beyond the grave, beyond the veil, hid from mortal vision, into the eternal secret, into the realms supersensible, into the supreme mystery, in confidence, in strict confidence, in strictest confidence, confidentially, between ourselves, between you and me, between you and me and the bedpost, entre nous, inter nos, under the seal of secrecy, a couvert, underhand, by stealth, like a thief in the night, stealthily, behind the scenes, behind the curtain, behind one's back, behind a screen, incognito, in camera, it must go no further, it will go no further, don't tell a soul, tell it not in Gath, nobody the wiser, alitur vitium vivitque tegendo, let it be tenable in your silence still, background information, deep background information, deep background, background session, backgrounder, not for attribution.