Cloak

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /'klok/
• Rhymes: -əʊk

Origin

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).

Full definition of cloak

Noun

1. A long outer garment worn over the shoulders covering the back; a cape, often with a hood.
• 1963, Margery Allingham, The China Governess Chapter 5, ‘It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited. Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.’
2. A blanket-like covering, often metaphorical.
   Night hid her movements with its cloak of darkness.
3. (figurative)  That which conceals; a disguise or pretext.
• SouthNo man is esteemed any ways considerable for policy who wears religion otherwise than as a cloak.
4. (Internet)  A text replacement for an IRC user's hostname or IP address, making the user less identifiable.

Derived terms

• cloak and dagger

Verb

1. To cover as with a cloak.
2. (science fiction, ambitransitive) To render or become invisible via futuristic technology.The ship cloaked before entering the enemy sector of space.

Derived terms

• cloaking device