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to put or spread something over something, or to lie on the surface of something:
The light was so bright that I had to cover my eyes.
Snow covered the hillsides.
She covered him (up) with a blanket.
Cover the meat with a layer of cheese.
The bandages were covered with/in blood.
How much of the earth's surface is covered by/with water?
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to deal with or direct attention to something:
This leaflet covers what we've just discussed in more detail.
Do these parking restrictions cover residents as well as visitors?
The salesman's territory covers the whole of the southeast.
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to report the news about a particular important event:
She's covering the American election for BBC television.
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to protect someone against loss, damage, accident, or having something stolen, by having insurance:
Does your travel insurance cover you against/for the loss or theft of cash?
I kept copies of my expense receipts, just to cover myself.
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to travel a particular distance:
We covered 400 km in three hours.
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to be enough money to pay for something:
The selling price barely covered the cost of the raw materials.
Would £50 cover your expenses?
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to aim a gun or shoot at someone to try to stop them from shooting or escaping, or to protect someone else:
The police officer was covered by her colleagues while she ran towards the gunman's hideout.
All the exits are covered, so they can't escape.
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to prevent a member of the opposing team from taking control of the ball by staying close to them all the time
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to do someone else's job or duty when they are absent:
I'm going to the doctor's tomorrow, so do you think you could cover my shift for me?
Sorry, I'm already covering for someone else.
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to make a recording of a song or tune that has already been recorded by someone else:
I think more singers have covered "Yesterday" than any other song.
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something that is put on or over something else, usually to protect it, to keep something in, etc.:
I keep my computer printer under a protective plastic cover.
Remove the packaging and pierce the plastic cover before microwaving.
Who should we put on the cover of the magazine this month?
Paperback books have soft covers.
Martha threw back the covers and bounced out of bed.
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shelter or protection in an unpleasant or dangerous situation:
We took cover from the storm in a bus shelter.
The burglar broke into the house under cover of darkness.
We needed more cover from the enemy aircraft.
I've got £20,000 worth of cover for the contents of my house.
Do you have cover for accidental damage?
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a performance or recording of a song or tune that has already been recorded by someone else:
How many cover versions have been made of "My Way"?
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to put or spread something over something, or to lie on the surface of something:
Once the rice comes to a boil, turn down the flame and cover the pot.
She covered the child with a blanket.
Grand Canyon National Park covers over a million acres.
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to travel a particular distance:
We covered 600 miles in the last two days.
fig. Her lecture covered a lot of ground, from Renaissance art to modern art.
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to deal with or include someone or something:
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to report or write about a particular subject for a newspaper, magazine, television, or radio:
Harold covers sports for the Times, and Joan covers real-estate developments.
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to be enough money to pay for:
Will $150 cover your expenses?
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to protect someone or something from financial loss, damage, accident, or having something stolen; to insure:
Our car insurance covers us up to $250,000 for personal injury.
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to do a job or duty for someone who is absent:
Can you cover for me while I'm at the dentist on Monday?
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to deal with or take care of something:
Could you cover the phones while I’m away from the office?
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shelter or protection, esp. in a dangerous situation:
Folks heard the storm was coming and took cover.
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something that is placed over something, often for protection, or that lies over something else to form a layer:
I keep my computer printer under a plastic cover.
[ pl ] On cold days, she pulled the covers up to her chin.
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to include or deal with something:
The seminars cover such topics as making an impact at interview, employability, and what companies are looking for.
Have I covered all your questions?
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to serve customers in a particular area:
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to be enough money to pay for something:
My wife earns enough to cover the mortgage.
We only sold enough to cover our costs - we made no profit at all.
The amount was not sufficient to cover all his debts.
The government's guarantee will cover the first £50,000 of people's savings.
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to protect someone or something against loss, damage, accident, etc., by insurance:
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to protect yourself from being blamed for something:
cover yourself (against something) Always inform a senior colleague of your intentions, in order to cover yourself against accusations of bullying.
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if a financial organization can cover a loan, it is protected against loss by having enough collateral (= property that a person borrowing money agrees to give to the organization if they fail to pay the debt):
The approval for a home equity loan is usually easy as the lender has collateral to cover the loan amount.
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to buy shares, currency, etc. that you have arranged to sell in the future, especially if the price is rising and you had expected it to go down:
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to do someone else's job when they are absent:
cover (for sb) We are expected to cover for each other if someone is absent or is late arriving in the morning.
While he was on sick leave, a colleague covered his job.
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the stiff outside part of a book or magazine:
She became the first woman to appear on the cover of Business Week.
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financial protection against loss, damage, injury, etc., which an insurance company sells:
health/liability/life/travel cover A firm employing staff needs to have employers' liability cover.
buy/get/take out cover (for/against sth) Homeworkers can get insurance cover for copiers and faxes but premium costs vary widely.
provide cover (for/against sth) The policy provides cover for loss or damage to property owned by the insured.
For a small additional premium, you can increase this cover to £100,000.
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the fact of being enough to pay for something:
The property that is being offered as collateral will be sufficient cover for the loan amount.
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the situation in which someone does someone else's job when they are absent:
Employees need cover for days they have to stay home to care for sick children.