Uncover

How to spell uncover

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce uncover

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does uncover mean?

1. verbTo remove a covering from something, or to reveal something that was hidden or unknown.

Uncover in a sentence

• The auditors hoped to uncover the missing funds.

• Workers had to uncover the old mosaic beneath the floor.

Where does uncover come from?

Language of origin: French

This is a transparent English compound built from the prefix un-, which signals reversal or removal, attached to the verb cover. The base 'cover' came into Middle English through Old French covrir, which descended from the Latin cooperire, meaning 'to cover over completely', formed from co- (an intensifying 'together' element) and operire 'to close or shut'. The prefix un- is a native Germanic element with deep Old English roots, used to reverse the action of a verb, as in 'undo' and 'unlock'. By the 1300s English speakers were combining the two to mean literally taking the cover off something, and the figurative sense of bringing hidden facts to light followed naturally. The spelling stays regular because both parts keep their familiar shapes, so the only thing to watch is resisting the urge to double letters at the join.

How the word is built

• un- (reverse, remove)
• cover (to put something over, from Latin cooperire)