English Explanatory Dictionary

cloak

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A long outer garment worn over the shoulders covering the back; a cape, often with a hood.
  2. A blanket-like covering, often metaphorical.
  3. That which conceals; a disguise or pretext.
  4. A text replacement for an IRC user's hostname or IP address, making the user less identifiable.
verb
  1. To cover as with or like a cloak.
  2. To cover up, hide or conceal.
  3. To render or become invisible via futuristic technology.

Pronunciation

en-us-cloak.ogg /ˈkloʊk/

Word forms

cloak cloaks cloke cloaking cloaked

Etymology

From Middle English cloke, from Old Northern French cloque (“travelling cloak”), from Medieval Latin clocca (“travelers' cape, literally “a bell”, so called from the garment’s bell-like shape”), of Celtic origin, from Proto-Celtic *klokkos, ultimately imitative. Doublet of cloche and clock.

Related words

burnoose burnous burnouse domino costume

Derived words

becloak boat cloak cloak-and-dagger cloak-and-sworder cloak bag cloaked cloak fern cloakless cloaklet cloaklike cloakmaker cloakmaking cloak room cloakroom cloakwise decloak discloak drunkard's cloak mourning cloak Newcastle cloak opera cloak overcloak turncloak undercloak uncloak cloakable cloaking device recloak
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