uncover
Appearance
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Middle English uncoveren, equivalent to un- + cover.
Pronunciation
[edit]- (General American) IPA(key): /ʌnˈkʌvɚ/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ʌnˈkʌvə(ɹ)/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - Rhymes: -ʌvə(ɹ)
Verb
[edit]uncover (third-person singular simple present uncovers, present participle uncovering, simple past and past participle uncovered)
- To remove a cover from.
- The model railway was uncovered.
- To reveal the identity of.
- The murderer has finally been uncovered.
- To show openly; to disclose; to reveal.
- 1649, J[ohn] Milton, ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC:
- To uncover his perjury to the oath of his coronation.
- (reflexive, intransitive) To remove one's hat or cap as a mark of respect.
- 1824, Town and Country Tales, page 115:
- Alfred, surprised to meet his father, whom he thought absent from home, […] stood, holding his firelock in one hand, and his hat in the other, having uncovered himself as soon as he perceived his father.
- 1891, N. H. Chamberlain, “In the Footprints of Burgoyne's Army”, in New England Magazine, volume 4, Boston, MA: New England Magazine Corporation:
- The English soldiers were directed in general orders to salute and uncover before the Host as it passed, and here in the wilderness the old religion held firm sway.
- (reflexive, intransitive) To expose the genitalia.
- 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 159:
- The phallus had power to subdue the attacks of demons and the Evil Eye; and the female organs were potent over elemental disturbances, thus a woman uncovering herself could quell a storm.
- (military, transitive) To expose (lines of formation of troops) successively by the wheeling to right or left of the lines in front.
Synonyms
[edit]- (to show openly): expose, uncloak; see also Thesaurus:reveal
- (to remove one's hat or cap): doff, uncoif, unhat; see also Thesaurus:undress
Antonyms
[edit]Translations
[edit]to remove a cover from
|
to reveal the identity of
|
expose — see expose
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms prefixed with un-
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ʌvə(ɹ)
- Rhymes:English/ʌvə(ɹ)/3 syllables
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English reflexive verbs
- English intransitive verbs
- en:Military
- English transitive verbs