shroud

[ shroud ]

noun

1. a cloth or sheet in which a corpse is wrapped for burial.

   Synonyms: winding sheet

2. something that covers or conceals like a garment:

   a shroud of rain.

3. Nautical. any of a number of taut ropes or wires converging from both sides on the head of a lower or upper mast of the outer end of a bowsprit to steady it against lateral sway: a part of the standing rigging.
4. Also called shroud line. Aeronautics. any of a number of suspension cords of a parachute attaching the load to the canopy.
5. Also called shrouding. Machinery.
   1. (on a nonmetallic gear) an extended metal rim enclosing the ends of the teeth on either side.
   2. (on a water wheel) one of two rings of boards or plates enclosing the buckets at their ends.
6. Rocketry. a cone-shaped shield that protects the payload of a launch vehicle.

verb (used with object)

1. to wrap or clothe for burial; enshroud.
2. to cover; hide from view.

   Synonyms: screen, conceal

3. to veil, as in obscurity or mystery:

   They shrouded their past lives in an effort to forget.

4. to provide (a water wheel) with a shroud.
5. Obsolete. to shelter.

verb (used without object)

1. Archaic. to take shelter.

shroud

/ ʃraʊd /

noun

1. a garment or piece of cloth used to wrap a dead body
2. anything that envelops like a garment

   a shroud of mist

3. a protective covering for a piece of equipment
4. astronautics a streamlined protective covering used to protect the payload during a rocket-powered launch
5. nautical one of a pattern of ropes or cables used to stay a mast
6. any of a set of wire cables stretched between a smokestack or similar structure and the ground, to prevent side sway
7. Also calledshroud line any of a set of lines running from the canopy of a parachute to the harness

verb

1. tr to wrap in a shroud
2. tr to cover, envelop, or hide
3. archaic.
   to seek or give shelter

Derived Forms

• ˈshroudless, adjective

Other Words From

• shroudless adjective
• shroudlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shroud¹

before 1000; (noun) Middle English; Old English scrūd; cognate with Old Norse skrūth; akin to shred; (v.) Middle English shrouden, derivative of the noun; replacing Middle English shriden, Old English scrȳdan, derivative of scrūd

Word History and Origins

Origin of shroud¹

Old English scrūd garment; related to Old Norse skrūth gear

Example Sentences

With the character’s green skin shrouded under shades of navy color grading, it’s almost impossible to see Erivo emote in scenes where it counts the most.

From Salon

Half a century since her creation, it is possible that the beloved character's origin story will continue to be shrouded in mystery for years to come.

From BBC

Gosling wears a brown trench coat in character as a futuristic bounty hunter while approaching a city skyline shrouded in thick, orange smog.

From Los Angeles Times

In front of him on the ground is a shroud, wrapped around the body of Abdulrahman,12, his youngest son.

From BBC

When the airbag shrouded my face in a soft white cloud, I momentarily thought I had died.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cloak
• pall
• veil