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Cove

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cove¹

  • /kəʊv/ UK
  • /koʊv/ US
  • /kəʉv/ Australia
  • /kɐʉv/ UK
  • /kov/ Scotland
  • /koːv/ Scotland
  • /koːv/ Wales

Sounds like Cobh · Rhymes with -əʊv

Where it comes from

From Middle English cove, from Old English cofa (“chamber; den”), from Proto-West Germanic *kobō, from Proto-Germanic *kubô. Cognate with Dutch koof (“cove”), German Low German Koov (“small room”), German Koben (“nook, shed”), Icelandic kofi (“hut, shack”). This word has probably survived as long as it has due to its coincidental phonetic resemblance to the unrelated word English cave. Also unrelated to Spanish cueva, which itself is a cognate of cave.

noun coves

  1. uncommon A hollow in a rock; a cave or cavern.
  2. A concave vault or archway, especially the arch of a ceiling.
  3. A small coastal inlet, especially one having high cliffs protecting vessels from prevailing winds; bight. secret coves and noukes
  4. US A strip of prairie extending into woodland.
  5. Cumbria A recess or sheltered area on the slopes of a mountain.
  6. The wooden roof of the stern gallery of an old sailing warship.
  7. A thin line, sometimes gilded, along a yacht's strake below deck level.
  8. Appalachia A valley between two ridges, especially one that, opening to the south and east, is protected by ridges on the north and west from common winter storm tracks. They were, despite their ignorance, unavoidably prosperous since their farm occupied a wide piece of cove bottom with dirt so black and rich it would raise sweet potatoes as long as your arm[.]

verb coves · coving · coved

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

cove²

  • /kəʊv/ UK
  • /koʊv/ US
  • /kəʉv/ Australia
  • /kɐʉv/ UK
  • /kov/ Scotland
  • /koːv/ Scotland
  • /koːv/ Wales

Sounds like Cobh · Rhymes with -əʊv

Where it comes from

Attested in Britain a. 1570, from Romani kodo (“this one, him”, pronounced /koðo/, ultimately undergoing th-fronting to /kov/ in English), or perhaps directly from Romani kova (“that person”).

noun coves

  1. UK, dated Man; fellow. Don't call Major Pendennis an old cove, if you'll 'ave the goodness, Lightfoot, and don't call me an old cove, nether. Such words ain't used in society; and we have lived in the fust society, both at 'ome and foring.
  2. Australia, Polari Friend; mate.

cove³

  • /kəʊv/ UK
  • /koʊv/ US
  • /kəʉv/ Australia
  • /kɐʉv/ UK
  • /kov/ Scotland
  • /koːv/ Scotland
  • /koːv/ Wales

Sounds like Cobh · Rhymes with -əʊv

Where it comes from

Borrowed from French couver, from Old French cover (“to hatch (eggs)”), from Latin cubāre (“to lie down, recline; to incubate; to be broody”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb- (“to lie down”).

Cognates

* Italian covare

verb coves · coving · coved · couve

  1. ambitransitive, obsolete Of a bird or other animal: to brood, cover, incubate, or sit over (eggs). Moreover, the provident care of the tortoiſe in the generation, nouriſhment and preſervation of [h]er yooung, is vvoonderfull: for out ſhe goeth of the ſea, and laieth her egges or caſteth her ſpavvne upon the banke ſide; but being not able to cove or ſit upon them, nor to remaine herſelfe upon the

Cove⁴

  • /kəʊv/

Sounds like Cobh

Where it comes from

From Old English cofa (“cave, cove, hollow, cavern”).

proper noun Coves

  1. countable, uncountable An unincorporated community in Apache County, Arizona.
  2. countable, uncountable A town in Polk County, Arkansas.
  3. countable, uncountable An unincorporated community in McDonald County, Missouri.
  4. countable, uncountable A minor city in Union County, Oregon.
  5. countable, uncountable A minor city in Chambers County, Texas.
  6. countable, uncountable A census-designated place in Cache County, Utah.
  7. countable, uncountable A small village in Tiverton parish, Mid Devon district, Devon, England (OS grid ref SS9519).
  8. countable, uncountable A suburb of Farnborough, Hampshire, England (OS grid ref SU8556).
  9. countable, uncountable A coastal village on the Rosneath peninsula, Argyll and Bute council area (OS grid ref NS2282).
  10. countable, uncountable A hamlet on Loch Ewe, Highland council area (OS grid ref NG8090).
  11. countable, uncountable A coastal village near Cockburnspath, Scottish Borders council area (OS grid ref NT7871).
  12. abbreviation, countable, ellipsis, uncountable Ellipsis of Cove Bay, Aberdeen.Cove Bay
  13. countable, uncountable A habitational surname from Old English.

Cove⁵

Where it comes from

From Sydney Cove.

proper noun the Cove

  1. Australia The official active supporters' group of Sydney FC (an Australian soccer club based in Sydney).

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