shroud
- 01 C1 Advanced
n.a piece of cloth used to wrap a dead body before it is buried.
n.a length of cloth or a garment in which a dead person is wrapped for burial; a winding sheet.
Simple“The body was wrapped in a simple white shroud according to tradition.”
In context“Archaeologists discovered fragments of a linen shroud, suggesting the burial rites were performed with significant care and expense.”
Synonymswinding sheetpall - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.something that covers or hides another thing, making it difficult to see or understand.
n.a thing that envelops or obscures something else, often used metaphorically for mystery or darkness.
Simple“A thick shroud of fog covered the valley early in the morning.”
In context“The negotiations were conducted under a shroud of secrecy, with no official statements released to the press for weeks.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.strong ropes or cables that support a ship's mast from the sides.
n.a set of ropes or cables forming part of the standing rigging, used to support a mast laterally.
Simple“The sailors checked the shrouds to make sure the mast was secure before the storm.”
In context“During the gale, one of the port-side shrouds snapped, threatening the stability of the entire mainmast.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to cover something so that it cannot be seen or known clearly.
v.to wrap or dress in a shroud; more commonly, to obscure or hide from view.
Simple“Mist started to shroud the mountains as the sun went down.”
In context“The origins of the ancient ruins remain shrouded in mystery, as no written records from that era have survived.”
“The show takes the form of a lecture-cum-eulogy to the “half man, half fish” Webb, whose body lies under a shroud on a table in the apt surroundings of Summerhall’s Anatomy theatre.”
“Computer simulations showed that rather than being an enormous star powered by nuclear fusion, the object is a black hole so swaddled in shrouds of dense gas that it radiates like a star.”
From Middle English shroud, from Old English sċrūd, from Proto-Germanic *skrūdą. Cognate with Old Norse skrúð (“the shrouds of a ship”) ( > Danish, Norwegian skrud (“splendid attire”)).
From Middle English schrouden (> Anglo-Latin scrudāre), from Middle English schroud (“shroud”) (see above).
Variant of shred.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.