Coated

How to spell coated

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce coated

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does coated mean?

1. adjectiveCovered with a layer of a substance such as paint, sugar, or a protective film.
2. verbPast tense of coat: applied a layer of something onto a surface.

Coated in a sentence

• adjective

  The almonds were coated in a thin shell of dark chocolate.

• verb

  The decorator coated the railings with two layers of weatherproof paint.

• adjective

  The pan has a non-stick surface that is coated with a special polymer.

• verb

  She coated the baking tray with butter before pouring in the batter.

Where does coated come from?

Language of origin: French

The base word coat came into English around 1300 from the Old French cote, which named a tunic or close-fitting outer garment worn over other clothing. That French word traces back to a Frankish or wider Germanic source, a word such as *kotta meaning a coarse woollen cloth or cloak. Over the centuries the sense widened from a piece of clothing to any outer layer that covers a surface, which is why we now speak of a coat of paint or a coat of varnish. The form coated is simply the past tense and past participle, made by adding the regular -ed ending, and it carries the practical idea of having been given an outer layer. Because coat is a short, native-feeling everyday word, the spelling is straightforward; the only point of care is keeping the single t before adding -ed.

How the word is built

• coat (an outer covering or layer)
• -ed (past participle / adjective suffix)