Dictionary

cloak en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /kləʊk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /kləʉk/ (Australia)
• (California) audio
• /kloʊk/ (Canada, General-American)
• /klɐʉk/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

From Middle English cloke, from Old Northern French cloque (“travelling cloak”), from Medieval Latin clocca (“travelers' cape, literally “a bell”, so called from the garment’s bell-like shape”), of Celtic origin, from Proto-Celtic *klokkos, ultimately imitative. Doublet of cloche and clock.

Meanings

1. A long outer garment worn over the shoulders covering the back; a cape, often with a hood.
   • ‘It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited. Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.’ 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
2. A blanket-like covering, often metaphorical.
   • Night hid her movements with its cloak of darkness.
3. (figuratively) That which conceals; a disguise or pretext.
   • For neither at any time vſed wee flattering wordes, as yee knowe, nor a cloke of couetouſneſſe, God is witneſſe: […] 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Thessalonians 2:5, column 1:
   • And no Man is eſteemed any ways conſiderable for Policy, who wears Religion otherwiſe than as a Cloak; that is, as ſuch a Garment as may both cover and keep him warm, and yet hang looſe upon him too. 1676 May 9 (date delivered; Gregorian calendar); first published 1692, Robert South, “A Sermon Preached at Westminster-Abbey”, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions. […], volume I, London: […] J[ohn] H[eptinstall] for Thomas Bennet, […], →OCLC, page 346:
4. (Internet) A text replacement for an IRC user's hostname or IP address, making the user less identifiable.

Forms

Deriveds

cloaklike · discloak · cloakmaker · opera cloak · uncloak · turncloak · cloakroom · cloakless · mourning cloak · cloak fern · cloak room · drunkard's cloak · cloak-and-sworder · cloakwise · boat cloak · undercloak · becloak · cloak bag · overcloak · cloaked · cloak-and-dagger · cloaklet · Newcastle cloak · decloak · cloakmaking

Relateds

burnouse · burnoose · domino costume · burnous

Translations (107)

hu köpeny (cape) · sh plašt (cape) · be плашч (cape) · enm cloke (cape) · es rebozo (that which conceals) · sv täckmantel (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · txb kampāl (cape) · nrf manté (cape) · mk наметка (cape) · bg аба́ (cape) · gl gurullo (cape) · cs plášť (cape) · el μανδύας (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · gl zurame (cape) · ja クローク (cape) · got 𐌷𐌰𐌺𐌿𐌻𐍃 (cape) · ru плащ (cape) · ga brat (cape) · ar مِعْطَف فَضْفَاض (cape) · pt manto (cape) · ta போர்வை (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · pt véu (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · cy clogyn (cape) · la mantellum (cape) · ru наки́дка (cape) · es velo (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · pt capa (cape) · bg покривало (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · bg плащ (cape) · cs plášť (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · sl plašč (cape) · el κάπα (cape) · gd cleòc (cape) · sv slängkappa (cape) · sh ogrtač (cape) · cy capan (cape) · es palio (cape) · grc φᾶρος (cape) · it tabarro (cape) · ca capa (cape) · es percal (cape) · es pendil (cape) · sh kep (cape) · es capa (that which conceals) · sh pelerina (cape) · wa pelurene (cape) · hy թիկնոց (cape) · la pallium (cape) · ru ма́нтия (cape) · es embozo (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · ca mantell (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · fi viitta (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · be плаш (cape) · grc χλαῖνα (cape) · ru покро́в (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · sv mantel (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · fi viitta (cape) · ja マント (cape) · fi kaapu (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · gl cerame (cape) · nrf cliôque (cape) · nl dekmantel (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · qu yaqulla (cape) · fa فرغل (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · la lacerna (cape) · he גְּלִימָה (cape) · nl cape (cape) · ga clóca (cape) · rif aserham (cape) · ro manta (cape) · fa فرچی (cape) · fa یلمه (cape) · is skikkja (cape) · hu köpönyeg (cape) · mi tūpuni (cape) · no kappe (cape) · sl ogrinjalo (cape) · pl peleryna (cape) · mk плашт (cape) · de Deckmantel (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · cy capanau (cape) · wa caban (cape) · ang hacele (cape) · ang mentel (cape) · fr pelisse (cape) · enm cope (cape) · cmn 斗篷 (cape) · eo mantelo (cape) · es socapa (that which conceals) · enm mantel (cape) · he אִצְטְלָה (blanket-like covering, often metaphorical) · bg наметало (cape) · sv mantel (cape) · got 𐍀𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌰 (cape) · fr pèlerine (cape) · da kappe (cape) · de Pelerine (cape) · nl mantel (cape) · de Umhang (cape) · gl capeirón (cape) · sa अत्क (cape) · kk желбегей (cape) · ro mantie (cape) · hi चोग़ा (cape) · fa قبا (cape) · ko 망토 (cape) · is möntull (cape)

cloak en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /kləʊk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /kləʉk/ (Australia)
• (California) audio
• /kloʊk/ (Canada, General-American)
• /klɐʉk/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

From Middle English cloke, from Old Northern French cloque (“travelling cloak”), from Medieval Latin clocca (“travelers' cape, literally “a bell”, so called from the garment’s bell-like shape”), of Celtic origin, from Proto-Celtic *klokkos, ultimately imitative. Doublet of cloche and clock.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To cover as with or like a cloak.
   • He would hold her, just hold her, while his hands soothed the bare skin of her arms and the delicate fabric that cloaked her shoulders and her back. 2008, Bronwyn Jameson, Vows & a Vengeful Groom, Silhouette Books, →ISBN, page 122:
2. (figuratively, transitive) To cover up, hide or conceal.
   • It’s possible that some microbes don’t just take up residence in tumors but help them grow. They may cloak the tumor from the immune system, neutralize drugs or help tumors spread through the body. 2022 September 29, Carl Zimmer, “A New Approach to Spotting Tumors: Look for Their Microbes”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 01 Dec 2022:
3. (ambitransitive) To render or become invisible via futuristic technology.
   • The ship cloaked before entering the enemy sector of space.

Forms

Deriveds

uncloak · cloaking device · cloakable · recloak

Translations (14)

de verhüllen (to cover as with a cloak) · fi verhoutua (to cover as with a cloak) · ota اورتمك (to cover as with a cloak) · nl verhullen (to cover as with a cloak) · es camuflajear activamente (science fiction) · es invisibilizar (science fiction) · es embozar (to cover as with a cloak) · sv skyla (to cover as with a cloak) · it ammantare (to cover as with a cloak) · ca encapotar (to cover as with a cloak) · qu yaqullay (to cover as with a cloak) · fi verhota (to cover as with a cloak) · es camuflar activamente (science fiction) · sv dölja (to cover as with a cloak)