uncover

English

Etymology

From Middle English uncoveren, equivalent to un- +‎ cover.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ʌnˈkʌvɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ʌnˈkʌvə(ɹ)/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌvə(ɹ)

Verb

uncover (third-person singular simple present uncovers, present participle uncovering, simple past and past participle uncovered)

1. To remove a cover from.

   The model railway was uncovered.

2. To reveal the identity of.

   The murderer has finally been uncovered.

3. To show openly; to disclose; to reveal.
   • 1649, J[ohn] Milton, ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC:

     To uncover his perjury to the oath of his coronation.

4. (reflexive, intransitive) To remove one's hat or cap as a mark of respect.
   • 1824, Town and Country Tales, page 115:

     Alfred, surprised to meet his father, whom he thought absent from home, […] stood, holding his firelock in one hand, and his hat in the other, having uncovered himself as soon as he perceived his father.

   • 1891, N. H. Chamberlain, “In the Footprints of Burgoyne's Army”, in New England Magazine, volume 4, Boston, MA: New England Magazine Corporation:

     The English soldiers were directed in general orders to salute and uncover before the Host as it passed, and here in the wilderness the old religion held firm sway.

5. (reflexive, intransitive) To expose the genitalia.
   • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 159:

     The phallus had power to subdue the attacks of demons and the Evil Eye; and the female organs were potent over elemental disturbances, thus a woman uncovering herself could quell a storm.

6. (military, transitive) To expose (lines of formation of troops) successively by the wheeling to right or left of the lines in front.

Synonyms

• (to show openly): expose, uncloak; see also Thesaurus:reveal
• (to remove one's hat or cap): doff, uncoif, unhat; see also Thesaurus:undress

Antonyms

• cover up

Translations

to remove a cover from

• Bulgarian: откривам (bg) (otkrivam), разкривам (bg) (razkrivam)
• Czech: odkrýt
• Esperanto: malkovri
• French: découvrir (fr)
• German: aufdecken (de), enthüllen (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἀποκαλύπτω (apokalúptō), ἐκκαλύπτω (ekkalúptō), ἀνακαλύπτω (anakalúptō)

• Hungarian: fedőt/fedelet/tetőt/ponyvát levesz, kinyit (hu), kibont (hu), kitakar (hu)
• Ido: deskovrar (io)
• Italian: scoprire (it), scoperchiare
• Latin: patefaciō, adaperiō, denudo
• Maori: hura, huke, kohura, hurahura
• Polish: odkryć / odkrywać
• Romanian: descoperi (ro), dezveli (ro)
• Russian: снимать (ru) impf (snimatʹ)
• Spanish: destapar (es)

to reveal the identity of

• Hungarian: leleplez (hu), lerántja a leplet (hu), fényt derít

to show openly; to disclose; to reveal — see also disclose,‎ reveal

• Danish: afdække
• Czech: odhalit (cs)
• Hungarian: feltár (hu), felfed (hu)
• Italian: rivelare (it), svelare (it)
• Spanish: develar (es)

expose — see expose