covered

1. 1
   verb

   Simple past and past participle of cover.

   The committee covered every item on the agenda in under two hours.

   By morning, fresh snow had covered the trail completely.

   Note

   One spelling does both jobs, unlike verbs such as take/took/taken. It is the simple past (snow covered the trail) and also the participle that builds the perfect (had covered) and the passive (was covered). The passive is the bridge to the adjective. Covered by snow describes an action, while covered in snow mostly describes a state, which is the territory of the "overlaid" adjective.

2. 2
   adjective

   Overlaid with a layer of something, or enclosed inside something else.

   The hills were covered with a thick blanket of mist.

   She kept the leftovers covered in the fridge overnight.

   Similarcoated, wrapped, shrouded

   Oppositeuncovered, exposed, bare

   Note

   The literal sense, and one that takes more than one preposition: hilltops are covered in snow, and the hills here are covered with mist. The adjective can also follow its noun in a compact descriptive phrase. Shane R. Reeves and David Wallace (2015) picture the "little green men" of Crimea with faces covered, in unmarked olive uniforms. Faces covered, heads covered: the noun comes first and no verb is needed.

3. 3
   adjectivefiguratively

   Prepared for some matter, or having already dealt with it.

   Relax. Security is covered for the entire event.

   With backups in place, the team felt completely covered if anything failed.

   Similarhandled, sorted, protected, prepared

   Oppositeexposed, unprepared

   Note

   Insurance supplies a typical frame for this figurative use: one is covered for a risk, as in covered for earthquake damage. The image extends the literal "overlaid" sense, with protection laid over a danger the way a lid sits over a dish. Used without the for-phrase, it means simply that something is handled: security is covered, so nobody needs to worry.

4. 4
   adjective

   Having less money available for betting than another player, who can therefore outbet you.

   Short on chips, he was covered by almost everyone left in the tournament.

   Going all-in is riskier when you're covered, since you can lose everything.

   Note

   Poker talks about this from the bigger stack's side: John, with $100, has Jill, with $75, covered. The construction is have someone covered, and the player with more chips is the subject. Being covered matters because the opponent can match any all-in bet in full. A single losing hand can then knock the covered player out.

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