coverture
(ˈkʌvətjʊə(r))
Forms: 3 kuuertur, 4 couertor, 4–6 cou-, covertour(e, 4–7 couerture, 5 couertowre, (6 couverture, Sc. coveratour), 8 covarture, 3– coverture.
[a. OF. coverture (12th c.; now couverture) = Pr. and Sp. cobertura:—L. type *coopertūra, f. ppl. stem of cooperīre to cover: see -ure. Early instances in -or, -ur, -our were prob. a. OF. covertor, couvretoir:—L. coopertōrium covering; but on the mutescence of final -e these ceased to be distinguishable from the word in -ture.]
1. Anything used to cover. Formerly used of the cover or lid of a cup or dish; the cover of a book; the cover of a letter; now only in the general and usually collective sense of ‘covering’.
| c 1450 Bk. Curtasye 754 in Babees Bk. (1868) 324 Wo so euere he takes þat mete to bere, Schalle not so hardy þo couertoure rere. Ibid. 791 The keruer..Vnkouers þe cup..Into þe couertoure wyn he powres owt. 1460–70 Bk. Quintessence 5 Seele þe vessel with his couertour. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1570) 1 Full goodly bounde in pleasant couerture. 1540 Morysine Vives' Introd. Wysd. B v b, The bodye..is nothing els but a coverture and a thing bound to serve the soule. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1374/1 For such letters as came vnto me..they were inclosed vnder a couerture from Fulgeam. 1592 R. D. Hypnerotomachia F ij b, Strong Okes..and browne Hasils..with the greene couerture of their innumerable leaues. 1697 tr. C'tess D'Aunoy's Trav. (1706) 83 Her hair was white, which she hid under a Coverture of black Lace. 1702 W. J. Bruyn's Voy. Levant xxxvi. 140 This Tomb is quite naked without any Coverture or Balisters. 1860 Rawlinson Herodotus ix. lxxxii. IV. 454 The couches..daintily decked out with their rich covertures. 1873 Browning Red Cotton Night-Cap Country 1061 Herbage and floral coverture bedeck Yon splintered mass. |
| fig. 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, iv. ii. 13 In Nights Couerture..Wee may surprize and take him at our pleasure. 1611 W. Barksted Hiren (1876) 79 He stumbled home, In the darke couerture of shady night. |
† b. in coverture: covered. Obs.
| 1545 Primer Hen. VIII. Matins, Keep our eyes in coverture From all evil and vain pleasure. |
† 2. A bed-cover, coverlet, or quilt. Obs.
(App. the earliest sense in Eng.)
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 214 Schulen beon of wurmes his kurtel and his kuuertur. a 1300 K. Horn 716 He liþ in bure, Under coverture. c 1340 Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 855 Couertorez ful curious, with comlych panez. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 6955 Þi covertoure on þe sene Salle be vermyn fulle felle and kene. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 110 The childe deyde bi cause..the childe was ouer charged with couerture. c 1477 Caxton Jason 66 To lye on the bedde of tribulacion under the couertour of right mortal distresse. 1483 ― Gold. Leg. 126/1 A moche riche couertour for hys bedde. 1539 Inventories 45 (Jam.) Four coveratouris of grene taffatiis stikkit. 1697 tr. C'tess D'Aunoy's Trav. (1706) 45 The Beds are without Curtains, the Covertures of Cotton. |
† 3. Covering for the body, clothing; a garment. Also of a horse: Housings, trappings, caparison.
| c 1300 Thrush & Night. 119 in Hazl. E.P.P. (1864) I. 55 Hoe fedde a crupel in hire boure, And helede him with covertour. c 1340 Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 602 Þe cropore, & þe couertor, acorded wyth þe arsounez. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xxii. 241, 4 grete Destreres..Covered with riche Covertoures. 1474 Caxton Chesse 152 Vestementes and couertours necessarye vnto hys body. 1555 Eden Decades 208 The men go vtterly naked without any..couerture at al. 1605 Camden Rem. (1637) 192 Other thinke that beasts skinnes..was mans first coverture. 1627 Lisander & Cal. x. 210 Without any caparison or other coverture but his saddle. |
4. An overhead covering; † a roof, a canopy; the tilt of a waggon. Now rare.
| 1382 Wyclif Ex. xxxvi. 19 He made the couertour of the tabernacle of skynnes of wethers. c 1430 Lydg. Bochas i. xviii. (1554) 34 a, The sterred heauen is thy couerture. 1532–3 Act 24 Hen. VIII, c. 10 Decay of the couertures of thatched houses. 1632 Lithgow Trav. ix. (1682) 384 The admirable Fishponds of Lucullus, (the Coverture of which, is supported by forty eight natural Pillers of stony Earth). 1856 Mrs. Browning Aur. Leigh iii. 1094 Through the waggon's coverture. |
5. Protective covering; shelter; refuge. Also fig.
| c 1450 MS. Cantab. Ff. i. 6, f. 151 (Halliw.) To kepe hym under the coverture Of trowthe and of connyng. 1556 Abp. Parker Ps. cxl, My closely couerture. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. July 26 Agaynst his cruell scortching heate, Where hast thou couerture? 1632 Lithgow Trav. ii. (1682) 50 To seek the coverture of some Rock. 1665 Manley Grotius' Low C. Warres 609 That he would assist those miserable Wretches, and take them into Coverture. 1837 M. J. Chapman in Blackw. Mag. XLII. 550 By Him, whose banner is our coverture. |
6. Concealing covering; disguise, veil. Also fig.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. v. iii. 159 Þilke notificaciouns þat ben yhidd vndir þe couertours of soþe. c 1400 Rom. Rose 1588 Ryght as a myrrour openly Shewith alle thing that stondith therby..Withouten ony coverture. 1594 Carew Huarte's Exam. Wits xiii. (1596) 205 The wiles which come vailed with anie couerture. 1599 Marston Sco. Villanie i. ii, To make Iehoua but a couerture, To shade ranck filth. 1625 W. B. True School War 7 The specious Mantle, and couerture of Religion. a 1677 Barrow Serm. (1683) II. xix. 273 Shrowded under the coverture of other Persons and Names. 1856 G. H. Boker Anne Boleyn v. vi, I'll hide thy name Under the coverture of even lines. |
7. fig. Concealment; dissimulation, deceit, covert conduct.
| 1393 Gower Conf. III. 328 They..faile of that they seche By coverture and sleight of speche. c 1400 Beryn 1147 Kepte well hir purpose vndir coverture. 1591 Spenser M. Hubbard 683 Throughly arm'd against such coverture. |
† 8. fig. a. A pretext, pretence; b. a justification, a defence of conduct. Obs.
| c 1440 Generydes 4596 To sle hym vterly, With fals tresone vnder a coverture. c 1477 Caxton Jason 95 b, He folowed Medea under the couerture of will to go..to the temple. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par., Matt. i. 22 Under this unhonest couerture. 1583 Golding Calvin on Deut. cxvi. 710 Nay not then, when wee haue just cause and couerture. |
9. Law. The condition or position of a woman during her married life, when she is by law under the authority and protection of her husband. Also in phr. under coverture (lit. and fig.).
| 1542–3 Act 34–5 Hen. VIII, c. 22 The freholde of his wife, during the couerture between them. 1587 Golding De Mornay xvi. (1617) 285 If the Soule had held her selfe in awe, and onder couerture. 1642 Perkins Prof. Bk. i. §20 10 This grant shall not bind the husband dureing the coverture. 1708 J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. i. iii. v. (1743) 179 If a freeman marry a bondwoman, she is also free during the coverture. 1817 W. Selwyn Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4) II. 698 B. afterwards died under coverture, no entry having been made on her behalf to avoid the fine. 1868 M. E. Braddon Dead Sea Fr. II. vii, His accomplished wife could scarcely be subjected to..imprisonment..while sheltered by the ægis of her coverture. |
b. humorously said of a married man.
| 1836 Dickens Sk. Boz, Mr. Watkins Tottle, I pleaded my coverture, being a married man. |
10. Ornith. = covert 5. rare. [F. couvertures.]
| 1861 Hulme tr. Moquin-Tandon ii. iii. 211 The great wing and tail feathers..and the covertures which protect the base of the latter. |