Cove

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kəʊv/
• Rhymes: -əʊv
• Homophones: Cobh

From Old English cofa, from Proto-Germanic *kubô. Cognate with German Koben, Swedish kofva.

Full definition of cove

Noun

1. (now rare) A hollow in a rock; a cave or cavern. from 9th c.
2. (architecture) A concave vault or archway, especially the arch of a ceiling. from 16th c.
3. A small coastal inlet, especially one having high cliffs protecting vessels from prevailing winds. from 16th c.
• Hollandvessels which were in readiness for him within secret coves and nooks
4. (US) A strip of prairie extending into woodland.
5. (now dialectal) A recess or sheltered area on the slopes of a mountain. from 19th c.
6. (nautical) The wooden roof of the stern gallery of an old sailing warship. from 19th c.
7. (nautical) A thin line, sometimes gilded, along a yacht's strake below deck level. from 19th c.

Verb

1. (architecture) To arch over; to build in a hollow concave form; to make in the form of a cove.
• H. SwinburneThe mosques and other buildings of the Arabians are rounded into domes and coved roofs.

From Romani kodo ("this one, him") .

Noun

1. (British) A fellow; a man.
2. (Australia) A friend; a mate.

Derived terms

• Abram cove
• badge-cove
• bang up cove

Compare French couver, Italian covare. See covey.

Verb

1. To brood, cover, over, or sit over, as birds their eggs.
• HollandNot being able to cove or sit upon them eggs, she female tortoise bestoweth them in the gravel.----