3 definitions found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Covering \Cov"er*ing\, n.
Anything which covers or conceals, as a roof, a screen, a
wrapper, clothing, etc.
Noah removed the covering of the ark. --Gen. viii.
13.
They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that
they have no covering in the cold. --Job. xxiv.
7.
A covering over the well's mouth. --2 Sam. xvii.
19.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Cover \Cov"er\ (k?v"?r), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Covered} (-?rd);
p. pr. & vb. n. {Covering}.] [OF. covrir, F. couvrir, fr. L.
cooperire; co- + operire to cover; probably fr. ob towards,
over + the root appearing in aperire to open. Cf. {Aperient},
{Overt}, {Curfew}.]
1. To overspread the surface of (one thing) with another; as,
to cover wood with paint or lacquer; to cover a table with
a cloth.
2. To envelop; to clothe, as with a mantle or cloak.
And with the majesty of darkness round Covers his
throne. --Milton.
All that beauty than doth cover thee. --Shak.
3. To invest (one's self with something); to bring upon
(one's self); as, he covered himself with glory.
The powers that covered themselves with everlasting
infamy by the partition of Poland. --Brougham.
4. To hide sight; to conceal; to cloak; as, the enemy were
covered from our sight by the woods.
A cloud covered the mount. --Exod. xxiv.
15.
In vain shou striv'st to cover shame with shame.
--Milton.
5. To brood or sit on; to incubate.
While the hen is covering her eggs, the male . . .
diverts her with his songs. --Addison.
6. To overwhelm; to spread over.
The waters returned and covered the chariots and the
horsemen. --Ex. xiv. 28.
7. To shelter, as from evil or danger; to protect; to defend;
as, the cavalry covered the retreat.
His calm and blameless life Does with substantial
blessedness abound, And the soft wings of peace
cover him round. --Cowley.
8. To remove from remembrance; to put away; to remit.
``Blessed is he whose is covered.'' --Ps. xxxii. 1.
9. To extend over; to be sufficient for; to comprehend,
include, or embrace; to account for or solve; to
counterbalance; as, a mortgage which fully covers a sum
loaned on it; a law which covers all possible cases of a
crime; receipts than do not cover expenses.
10. To put the usual covering or headdress on.
Cover thy head . . .; nay, prithee, be covered.
--Shak.
11. To copulate with (a female); to serve; as, a horse covers
a mare; -- said of the male.
{To cover}
{ground or distance}, to pass over; as, the rider covered the
ground in an hour.
{To cover one's short contracts} (Stock Exchange), to buy
stock when the market rises, as a dealer who has sold
short does in order to protect himself.
{Covering party} (Mil.), a detachment of troops sent for the
protection of another detachment, as of men working in the
trenches.
{To cover into}, to transfer to; as, to cover into the
treasury.
Syn: To shelter; screen; shield; hide; overspread.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
covering
n 1: a natural object that covers or envelops; "under a covering
of dust"; "the fox was flushed from its cover" [syn: {natural
covering}, {cover}]
2: an artifact that covers something else (usually to protect
or shelter or conceal it)
3: the act of concealing the existence of something by
obstructing the view of it; "the cover concealed their
guns from enemy aircraft" [syn: {cover}, {screening}, {masking}]
4: the act of protecting something by covering it
5: the work of applying something; "the doctor prescribed a
topical application of iodine"; "a complete bleach
requires several applications"; "the surface was ready for
a coating of paint"; [syn: {application}, {coating}]