covert
/ˈkoʊvɚt/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.54 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
noun
A covering.
noun
A disguise.
noun
A hiding place.
noun
Area of thick undergrowth where animals hide.
noun
A feather that covers the bases of flight feathers.
Example Sentences
- "covert operations"
- "how covert matters may be best disclosed"
- "whether of open war or covert guile"
- "If the President were to inform the Gang of Eight that he signed a covert action finding to overthrow the government of Canada, he would be required to tell others at least something about the finding."
- "Such concerns were sharpened further by the continuing revelations about how the US National Security Agency (NSA) has been using algorithms to help it interpret the colossal amounts of data it has collected from its covert dragnet of international telecommunications."
- "Within that wood there was a covert glade, Foreby a narrow foord, to them well knowne […]"
Etymology
From Middle English covert, from Old French covert, past participle of covrir (“to cover”) (corresponding to Latin coopertus); cognate to cover. Not closely related to overt, despite what the most common pronunciation would suggest.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: covert, coopertus
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈkoʊvɚt/
- British English: /ˈkəʊvɜːt/