cove¹ / kōv/ • n. 1. a small sheltered bay.2. a sheltered recess, esp. one in a mountain.3. Archit. a concave arched molding, esp. one formed at the junction of a wall with a ceiling.• v. [tr.] [usu. as adj.] (coved) Archit. provide (a room, ceiling, etc.) with a cove.cove² • n. Brit., inf., dated a man: he is a perfectly amiable cove.

cove, coving.
1. Surface of concave, more or less quarter-cylindrical form, usually applied to the cavetto moulding between a wall and coved ceiling, called coving. In many cases the coving is heavily ornamented.

2. Large concave part of a chancel-screen under the gallery, often with the appearance of vaulting.

3. Curved transition between an exterior wall and the eaves, called coved eaves.

cove 1 †bedchamber, storechamber; (Sc. and north.) hollow in a rock, etc. OE.; sheltered recess on a coast XVI. OE. cofa chamber = MLG. cove, MHG. kobe (G. koben) stable, pigsty, ON. kofi hut, shed :- Gmc. *kuƀan-.

cove 2 (colloq.) fellow, chap. XVI. orig. thieves' cant, perh. identical with Sc. cofe chapman, pedlar.