cover
n. C / Un. something that you put over or around an object to protect it or hide it. It can also be the outer part of a book or a song that someone plays differently from the original.
n. a physical layer placed over an object for protection, concealment, or decoration; also refers to the outer binding of a publication or a new recording of a previously released song.
Please put the cover back on the grill after it cools down.
The band played a famous rock cover to get the crowd dancing at the start of the wedding reception.
While the thick forest canopy provided excellent cover from the midday sun, it also made it difficult for the hikers to spot any landmarks on the horizon.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi Proto-Indo-European *h₂wer- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Latin operiō Latin cooperiō Old French covrirbor. Middle English coveren English cover From Middle English coveren, borrowed from Old French covrir, cueuvrir (modern French couvrir), from Late Latin coperire, from Latin cooperiō (“I cover completely”), from co- (intensive prefix) + operiō (“I close, cover”). Displaced native Middle English thecchen and bethecchen (“to cover”) (from Old English þeccan, beþeccan (“to cover”)), Middle English helen, (over)helen, (for)helen (“to cover, conceal”) (from Old English helan (“to conceal, cover, hide”)), Middle English wrien, (be)wreon (“to cover”) (from Old English (be)wrēon (“to cover”)), Middle English hodren, hothren (“to cover up”) (from Low German hudren (“to cover up”)). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the original sense of the verb and noun cover was “hide from view” as in its cognate covert. Except in the limited sense of “cover again”, the word recover is unrelated and is cognate with recuperate. Cognate with Spanish cubrir (“to cover”).
Countable when referring to specific items like book jackets or song versions; often uncountable when referring to general protection or shelter.
the book's capthe book's coverLearners sometimes use 'cap' or 'lid' for books, but 'cover' is the specific term for the outer part of a publication.