adjective
covert
KOH-vurt
adjective
1
Secret or hidden; done in a concealed way.
"The agency ran a covert operation to gather intelligence."
"They exchanged covert glances across the room."
noun
1
A thicket or dense area of undergrowth where game animals hide.
"The hunting dogs flushed a pheasant out of the covert."
2
In birds, a small feather that covers the base of a larger flight feather.
"The wing coverts showed a flash of blue."
How to Use Covert
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSecret or concealed, especially for operations, glances, or actions people aren't meant to notice.
Common mistake
Not directly related to "overt," even though the words look and sound like opposites — they come from different Latin roots (covert = "covered," overt = "open").
Easily confused with
Common pairings
covert operation
covert surveillance
covert glance
Word Forms
more covert comparative, coverts plural, Coverts plural, most covert superlative
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The agency ran a _____ operation to gather intelligence.
Etymology
From Old French covert, meaning "covered" — the same root as the verb "cover."