cloak
n. countablen. a loose piece of clothing without sleeves that you wear over your shoulders. It can also mean something that hides or covers a secret.
n. a sleeveless outdoor garment that hangs loosely from the shoulders. Often used figuratively to describe something that conceals or masks the true nature of an activity or situation.
The mysterious figure wore a long black cloak.
The spies operated under a cloak of secrecy to ensure their mission remained undetected by the public.
The thick morning fog acted as a natural cloak, allowing the small vessel to slip past the harbor guards without raising any alarms.
From Middle English cloke, from Old Northern French cloque (“travelling cloak”), from Medieval Latin clocca (“travelers' cape, literally “a bell”, so called from the garment’s bell-like shape”), of Celtic origin, from Proto-Celtic *klokkos, ultimately imitative. Doublet of cloche and clock.
Commonly used in the metaphorical phrase 'a cloak of' followed by an abstract noun like 'secrecy', 'silence', or 'darkness'.