to cover
- verb
- /ˈkʌvər/
- During the incubation period, the penguin covers her eggs with her feet to maintain the right temperature.
Examples
-
The she turtle just lays eggs on some beach at night, covers the whole goes to the ocean and that's it.
-
At low tide, the fertilized eggs can be seen covering the shoreline and its structures.
Academic text (2003) -
After covering the clutch with vegetation, the females will retreat from the nesting grounds.
Academic text (2002) -
The mother bird carefully covered her eggs to keep them warm and safe from predators.
-
To ensure the eggs hatch successfully, the hen covers them with her body for warmth.
Synonyms
To sit on eggs to keep them warm until they open
Sit on eggs to keep them warm until they hatch
To sit on eggs to keep them warm until they hatch
Antonyms
Idioms
- Offensive
To take steps to protect yourself from blame, often by keeping records or blaming others
- Informal
Decide something about a person or thing by how they look
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
- Formal
A short letter you send with a job application to introduce yourself and say why you fit the job
- Jargon
Military aircraft protect soldiers or ships from enemy attack during an operation
An extra fee each person pays to enter a restaurant or club, not for food and drink
A removable cloth or plastic layer that protects a mattress from dirt and spills
A removable cover, often plastic or cloth, that protects machines like a printer from dust when not in use
- Specialized
A small thin glass piece placed over a sample on a microscope slide to protect it and aid viewing
- Specialized
A hard outer layer of glass that protects a device screen from scratches and drops
- Offensive
A person who often makes new versions of other people's songs or who loves cover bands
A material like carpet or wood placed on the floor to protect it and make it look nicer
How Attentive
Surface Forms
Etymology
Cover for a bird sitting on eggs comes from the simple physical idea of 'putting over' something, so a bird covers its eggs with its body to keep them warm until they hatch.