COVE

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does cove mean? 

• COVE (noun)
  The noun COVE has 2 senses:

1. a small inlet

2. small or narrow cave in the side of a cliff or mountain

  Familiarity information: COVE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COVE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A small inlet

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("cove" is a kind of...):

inlet; recess (an arm off of a larger body of water (often between rocky headlands))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cove"):

lough (a long narrow (nearly landlocked) cove in Ireland)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Small or narrow cave in the side of a cliff or mountain

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("cove" is a kind of...):

cave (a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea)

 Context examples 

A brisk wind was blowing into the cove, and though the water was calm, rapid work was required to get us safely out.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“This is a handy cove,” says he at length; “and a pleasant sittyated grog-shop. Much company, mate?”

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

We’ve got two more comin’ up—Gully and Pearce—who’ll make you London milling coves wish they was back in the west country again.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

At two in the morning the boat’s bow touched the beach of our own inner cove and I staggered out to make the painter fast.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Tell us how the millin’ coves did it in your time.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I said good-bye to Mother and the cove where I had lived since I was born, and the dear old Admiral Benbow—since he was repainted, no longer quite so dear.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

At the dark end of the first day we returned, exhausted, to our little cove, towing the mainmast behind us.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Vich among you could get up again after such a vipe as the Eytalian Gondoleery cove gave to Bob Vittaker?

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

And that was plainly the last signal of danger, for the buccaneers turned at once and ran, separating in every direction, one seaward along the cove, one slant across the hill, and so on, so that in half a minute not a sign of them remained but Pew.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

The beaches of the outer cove were thundering with the surf, and even in our land-locked inner cove a respectable sea was breaking.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)