Dictionary

cover story en · NOUN

Meanings

1. A story included in a publication that is highlighted on the front cover.
   • It's ironic that the day before the Prime Minister confirmed the go-ahead for HS2, RAIL 898 hit my doormat with a cover story 'Is reopening the GC a viable alternative to HS2?' 2020 May 6, “Letters: Open Access”, in Rail, page 48:
   • We didn't even think it was that important, at first, and yet by the end of the week it had become the cover story of the next issue.
2. A fictitious account that is intended to hide one's real motive.
   • The cover story of an intelligence agent posing as a foreign service officer is called a diplomatic cover in the trade.
   • "This is just a cover story," Clay says to O5-8, not taking his eyes off Marion. "It's a good one, but she's had it worked out in advance." "Clay, lose the piece," says the O5. Grudgingly, Clay does so. 2008–2021, qntm, “We Need To Talk About Fifty-Five”, in There Is No Antimemetics Division, →ISBN, page 9:
3. (broadly) Any fictitious account used to hide, distract from, or falsely explain the truth which one intends to conceal.

Forms

Relateds

backstory · cock-and-bull story · cover boy · undercover · front page · cover girl

Translations (39)

de Titelgeschichte (story on a publication's front page) · pt manchete (story on a publication's front page) · it mascheramento (fictitious account) · pl legenda (fictitious account) · cmn 託詞 /托词 (fictitious account) · de Coverstory (story on a publication's front page) · es cubierta (fictitious account) · hu fedővállalkozás (fictitious account) · pl artykuł z okładki (story on a publication's front page) · fr couverture (fictitious account) · nl omslagartikel (story on a publication's front page) · fi peitehenkilöllisyys (fictitious account) · de Legende (fictitious account) · uk леге́нда (fictitious account) · fi peiterooli (fictitious account) · it sotto copertura (fictitious account) · hu fedőszemély (fictitious account) · tr gizli kimlik (fictitious account) · es tapadera (fictitious account) · fi etusivun juttu (story on a publication's front page) · cmn 封面故事 (story on a publication's front page) · hu fedőtörténet (fictitious account) · fr gros titre (story on a publication's front page) · es identidad falsa (fictitious account) · ru те́ма но́мера (story on a publication's front page) · hu fedősztori (fictitious account) · de Tarnung (fictitious account) · ru загла́вная исто́рия (story on a publication's front page) · ru прикры́тие (fictitious account) · hu fedőszerv (fictitious account) · es historieta de portada/carátula (story on a publication's front page) · sv täckmantel (fictitious account) · pt história para encobrir (fictitious account) · es cover story (story on a publication's front page) · es cover-story (story on a publication's front page) · es primera plana (story on a publication's front page) · ru гла́вная статья́ (story on a publication's front page) · ru леге́нда (fictitious account) · fi peitetarina (fictitious account)