cloak

[ klohk ]

noun

1. a loose outer garment, as a cape or coat.
2. something that covers or conceals; disguise; pretense:

   He conducts his affairs under a cloak of secrecy.

   Synonyms: veil, mask, cover

verb (used with object)

1. to cover with or as if with a cloak:

   She arrived at the opera cloaked in green velvet.

2. to hide; conceal:

   The mission was cloaked in mystery.

cloak

/ kləʊk /

noun

1. a wraplike outer garment fastened at the throat and falling straight from the shoulders
2. something that covers or conceals

verb

1. to cover with or as if with a cloak
2. to hide or disguise

Other Words From

• cloakless adjective
• under·cloak noun
• well-cloaked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cloak¹

1175–1225; Middle English cloke (< Old French ) < Medieval Latin cloca, variant of clocca bell-shaped cape, bell; clock ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of cloak¹

C13: from Old French cloque, from Medieval Latin clocca cloak, bell; referring to the bell-like shape

Example Sentences

And yet Mr. Trump cloaked the effort’s announcement in glamour, calling it “potentially ‘The Manhattan Project’ of our time,” aiming “to liberate our economy, and make the U.S. government accountable to ‘WE THE PEOPLE.’”

From New York Times

But much of the action takes place in ordinary rooms and pubs, often dimly lighted as befits a milieu cloaked in secrecy and insularity.

From Los Angeles Times

This time there appears to have been no cloaking of the beatings as "spiritual discipline" as had been the case in the UK.

From BBC

Sometimes called Mistress Death or Lady Death, the cloaked entity tends to be involved in storylines set in space.

From Los Angeles Times

The new arrivals are all from the Shia community and follow strict religious rules, with the women wearing the chador, a full-body cloak that covers everything but their faces.

From BBC

Related Words

• camouflage
• mantle
• mask
• shawl
• veneer