cove
noun
Simple meaning
A small coastal inlet.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kohvIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈkoʊv
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A small coastal inlet, especially one having high cliffs protecting vessels from prevailing winds; bight.
A minor city in Union County, Oregon.
A minor city in Chambers County, Texas.
architecture
A concave vault or archway, especially the arch of a ceiling.
A number of places in the United States
Three villages in Scotland
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A small coastal inlet, especially one having high cliffs protecting vessels from prevailing winds; bight.
Used this way, cove is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use cove
- “We found a secluded cove perfect for a peaceful swim.”
Share your sentence
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “cove” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.