cloak

1 of 2

noun

1
: a loose outer garment
2
: something likened to an outer garment: such as
a
: something that envelops or conceals
a cloak of secrecy
b
: a distinctive character or role
hung up his academic cloak … to become a stay-at-home fatherCharles Chamberlain

cloak

2 of 2

verb

cloaked; cloaking; cloaks

transitive verb

: to cover or hide with or as if with a cloak
Choose the Right Synonym for cloak

disguise, cloak, mask mean to alter the dress or appearance of so as to conceal the identity or true nature.

disguise implies a change in appearance or behavior that misleads by presenting a different apparent identity.

disguised herself as a peasant

cloak suggests a means of hiding a movement or an intention.

cloaked their maneuvers in secrecy

mask suggests some often obvious means of hiding or disguising something.

smiling to mask his discontent

Examples of cloak in a Sentence

Noun Their plans were shrouded in a cloak of secrecy. the cloak of mystery that surrounds the royal family Verb the outlaw nation had cloaked its chemical weapons plant as a fertilizer factory cloaked their military maneuvers from the outside world
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Add other aromatics to the sauce, or top the pie with your favorite pizza parlor ingredients, then add a cloak of melty cheese. Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 17 Feb. 2024 Scientists at regulatory agencies, especially the Food and Drug Administration, leaked information to him, typically under cloak of anonymity. Michael S. Rosenwald, Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2024 But that cloak of responsibility is concealing their irresponsibility: This team desperately seeking wing defense also didn’t find a way to fill its Jarred Vanderbilt-sized void. Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 8 Feb. 2024 He’s too closely associated with the cloak of invincibility. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 7 Feb. 2024 Some scholars had already suggested that the Rude Man was a depiction of Hercules, citing evidence that the figure may have once worn a cloak, in keeping with the traditional depiction of the demigod. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Jan. 2024 There, flitting between the trees, is a humanoid creature with a plasma cannon and an invisibility cloak that proves more formidable than any guerilla grunt. EW.com, 13 Nov. 2023 Metaphorically, this principle is like using a cryptographic vault where confidential data undergoes operations while shrouded in a mathematical cloak, only revealing the final outcome without compromising the secrets within. David Balaban, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 The zeal with which William has thrown a cloak of privacy around his family was dramatized by his wife’s medical treatment. Mark Landler, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024
Verb
In a resonant pre-internet illustration of this thesis, the mayor’s infuriating hypocrisy, cloaked in communal concern and democratic pieties, drives Dr. Stockmann, a man of reason, into an irrational frenzy. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 She and her family are welcomed by the queen, Isabelle (Robin Wright, gorgeously cloaked in robes, power and snobbery), and her fiancé, Prince Henry (Nick Robinson), who looks oddly sheepish, as if he’d been caught in a lie on his Royal Match profile. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 Sausage—stuffed with gooey cheese—is served in tacos cloaked with aromatic salsas. Kayla Stewart, Bon Appétit, 23 Feb. 2024 The unmasking of an antisemitism, cloaked in ethical superiority yet openly calling for genocide, has left young diaspora Jews betrayed, and some have embraced a feeling heretofore unknown: Zionism. TIME, 20 Feb. 2024 Nearby a flat boulder cloaked in the shade of the yawning oak trees was dimpled with grinding holes created by nameless Native Americans, decades, or even centuries, ago. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2024 By cloaking their gods in the guise of Catholic saints, the enslaved in Cuba could continue to worship as their forebearers in Benin and Congo had done. Helena Alonso Paisley, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2024 The West Maui Mountains, formed by volcanic eruptions, towered in the distance, partially cloaked by clouds. Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2024 Rancho Gordo beans, the king of heirloom bean purveyors, are cloaked in a sweet butternut squash sauce. Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cloak.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cloke, from Anglo-French cloque bell, cloak, from Medieval Latin clocca bell; from its shape

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1509, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cloak was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near cloak

Cite this Entry

“Cloak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloak. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cloak

1 of 2 noun
1
: a long loose outer garment
2
: something that conceals or covers
a cloak of secrecy surrounded the talks

cloak

2 of 2 verb
: to cover or hide with a cloak
Etymology

Noun

Middle English cloke "cloak," from early French cloque "cloak, bell"; so named because a cloak resembled a bell in shape — related to clock

More from Merriam-Webster on cloak

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