cove

¹

[ kohv ]

noun

1. a small indentation or recess in the shoreline of a sea, lake, or river.
2. a sheltered nook.
3. a hollow or recess in a mountain; cave; cavern.
4. a narrow pass between woods or hills.
5. a sheltered area between woods or hills.
6. Architecture.
   1. a concave surface or molding.
   2. a concave surface forming part of a ceiling at its edge so as to eliminate the usual interior angle between the wall and ceiling.

verb (used with or without object)

, coved, cov·ing.

1. to make or become a cove.

cove

²

[ kohv ]

noun

1. British Slang. a person; fellow.
2. Australian Slang. a manager, especially of a sheep station.

cove

¹

/ kəʊv /

noun

1. old-fashioned.
   a fellow; chap
2. history an overseer of convict labourers

cove

²

/ kəʊv /

noun

1. a small bay or inlet, usually between rocky headlands
2. a narrow cavern formed in the sides of cliffs, mountains, etc, usually by erosion
3. a sheltered place
4. Also calledcoving architect a concave curved surface between the wall and ceiling of a room

verb

1. tr to form an architectural cove in

Word History and Origins

Origin of cove¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cofa “cave, den, closet”; cognate with Old Norse kofi “hut,” Greek gýpē “cave”

Origin of cove²

First recorded in 1560–70; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Romani kova “creature, thing, person”

Word History and Origins

Origin of cove¹

C16: probably from Romany kova thing, person

Origin of cove²

Old English cofa; related to Old Norse kofi, Old High German kubisi tent

Example Sentences

In the quiet moments, when you find a beach or cove all your own, it still feels like a far-flung hinterland.

From Washington Post

In any case, as aging comes for us all, so it comes, at an accelerated pace, for those who’ve arrived at this little cove just looking for a refreshing day near the water.

From Vox

One of the best, Devil’s Waterhole, is tucked away in a cove of Inks Lake State Park.

From Outside Online

Experienced kayakers can enjoy a paddle in the cove, though swimming isn’t recommended due to strong currents.

From Outside Online

This is all laid out around the crescent-shaped cove, a 630-acre reservoir carved from the limestone.

From Washington Post

And I thought I should come back one day to do a giant walk over the Sydney Cove from the Opera House to the top of the bridge.

From The Daily Beast

The Cove Deli on Main Street buzzed with the sound of a generator, and the lights were dim but the doors thrown open.

From The Daily Beast

Louie Psihoyos' The Cove, on the other hand, feels entirely fresh, and is as dramatic and gripping as any live-action thriller.

From The Daily Beast

Directed by Louie Psihoyos, a National Geographic photographer, The Cove is, on its face, eco-advocacy at its best.

From The Daily Beast

But the most compelling documentary of the year is The Cove.

From The Daily Beast

The mainland of the great northern cove and the eastern side of the Islands were thick with trees: oaks, buckeye, willows, madroo.

From Project Gutenberg

The hills that formed a cove of the great valley were bright with their houses and gardens, but very quiet.

From Project Gutenberg

That young cove right opposite to you is one of the best-known sneak-thieves in the city.

From Project Gutenberg

Going up the cove some distance, Henry Burns launched a rowboat and pulled rapidly across, landing some ways above the bluff.

From Project Gutenberg

What they saw was the yacht Eagle, not far from the bluff, under full mainsail, standing out of the cove.

From Project Gutenberg