Middle English Dictionary Entry

cǒveren v.(1)
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Entry Info

Forms cǒveren v.(1) Also covren, cuver, cufer & curen & keveren, keveri, keure, keover, kiver. Ppl. cǒvered, cǒvert, corit, cured, curid, kevered.
Etymology OF covr-ir, couvr-ir, sg. 3 cuevr-e (whence ME kever-en), ppl. covert.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) To cover (an object) by laying or spreading material over or about it; cover up or envelop; also, ~ above, ~ up; (b) of the material: to cover (the object).
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2a.
(a) To cover (sb., the body, its parts) with an article of clothing or armor; clothe, garb, arm; wrap (a corpse) in winding sheets; (b) to place (a garment over sb.); (c) to cover (a tree) with leaves.
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2b.
To caparison (a horse).
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2c.
Of an article of clothing: to cover (sb., the body); also, ~ aboute, ~ over.
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3.
To cover (one's head or hair) with a hat or other headdress; also, have or keep one's head covered.
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4.
To cover (a piece of furniture, an altar, coffin, etc.) with a cloth or pall; ~ aboute; also, of the cloth or pall: cover (the object).
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5.
To cover (a table) with a cloth and other appropriate setting for a meal, set (a table), ~ bordes; also, of the cloth: cover (the table), ~ ouer; -- also absol.
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6.
To cover (a vessel, its contents) with a lid; put a lid on, furnish with a lid.
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7.
To cover (a building) with roofing material; roof over (a building, cistern, pit); also, furnish (a street) with a canopy.
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8.
(a) To cover (a surface) with material for protection or ornament; deck (a ship, a hall) with surface coverings; silver-plate (an object); also, of the material: cover (the surface); (b) to cover (a book, parchment roll, garment) with ornamental or protective material.
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9.
(a) To cover (a surface) with something that spreads over its entire extent; (b) to spread over the entire extent of (a surface); cover (a surface) completely; overspread, overrun (a place); (c) of a ship: to pass over (the waves), traverse.
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10.
(a) Of an agent: to shield (sb., the body, etc.) with or under a protecting instrument; ~ with (under) sheld, ~ sauf; (b) to protect or defend (sb. or sth.) from harm; ~ fro(m; (c) of the instrument or means: to serve as protection to (sb. or sth.); (d) covered (under husbond), of a woman: sheltered, protected, i.e. married.
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11a.
Of an agent: (a) to hide (sb. or sth.) from view, conceal; (b) fig. to keep (sth.) from being readily detected; conceal; ppl. covered, hidden, concealed.
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11b.
Of the instrument: to hide or conceal (sb. or sth.); also, ~ over.
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11c.
Med. To cloak or alleviate the symptoms of (disease) without cure; palliate; cure covering, palliative treatment.
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12.
(a) Refl. and absol. To hide (oneself), take cover; ~ under lokke, take cover behind locked doors; (b) refl. to hide one's true nature or feelings, dissemble.
Show 6 Quotations
13.
Fig. To envelop, surround, or overwhelm (sb.); cover (with shame, etc.).
Show 9 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE 29 (Hrl 874)p.57 : On of þe grete seide to me what þai weren þat weren keuered in white stoles & whennes þat þai comen.
    • Note: Antedates sense 2a.(a).
  • ?a1425 Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)32/18 : Þe palate…is couer [vr. couerd] wiþ his parties wiþ a pannikel.
    • Note: New forms: ppl. cover(d.
    Note: ben covered, of the palate: to be covered (with a membrane).
  • 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)25 : A Duke…when he dynethe…in his own chaumber oute from the high presence than to be covered in all servyses save assay, nor his assewer no towell, but he be a kings son.
    • Note: New sense.
    Note: Gloss: to provide adequately for (sb.) at table, wait upon.--per MLL
Note: New form: in sense 5., the variant form "reuerd" (an error for "keuerd," with perhaps "K" being misread as an uppercase "R"?) has been added to the (c1387-95) Chaucer quot. which is already there. Add "(error) reuerd" to the form section.--notes per MLL

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1500 ?Scrope Ribot First Monks (Lamb 192) 91/10 : [This] betokenyth hym to gon up other vj agys morouer of generacyons of kenredes & of men in beheldynge, the whiche the blyssed Lewke kewryd [L texit] in the genelagye of Cryst fro Sem.
    • Note: Ed.: "'kewryd' texit (devised) 'Cover' in the sense of 'deal with, write about' is not recorded until the late eighteenth century." Cf. OED cover, v.1, sense 15. Also, in the glossary: "'kewryd' 3 pr. pa. built (mistranslation)".
    Note: ?New sense.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1484 7Planets (Trin-C R.14.52)692/209 : Who that is born..in the signe of Capricorniu..Shewe nat hym thi secretis for he can nat covore ne concele.
    • Note: Additional quot., prob. sense 11a.(b).
    Note: New form.

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