What does "cloak" mean?
A long outer garment worn over the shoulders covering the back; a cape, often with a hood.
Cloak
/ˈkloʊk/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A long outer garment worn over the shoulders covering the back; a cape, often with a hood.
- Grammar: cloak is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abaya, alibi, apology, apply.
- Useful contrasts: disclose, expose, jerkins.
- Usage evidence: My wallet was stolen in the cloak room.
How to use "cloak"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cloak" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cloak" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cloak" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cloak" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cloak" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abaya" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cloak", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A long outer garment worn over the shoulders covering the back; a cape, often with a hood.
"‘It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited. Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.’"
- 2 a loose outer garment wordnet
- 3 A blanket-like covering, often metaphorical.
"Night hid her movements with its cloak of darkness."
- 4 anything that covers or conceals wordnet
- 5 That which conceals; a disguise or pretext. figuratively
"For neither at any time vſed wee flattering wordes, as yee knowe, nor a cloke of couetouſneſſe, God is witneſſe: […]"
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- 6 A text replacement for an IRC user's hostname or IP address, making the user less identifiable. Internet
Verb
- 1 To cover as with or like a cloak. transitive
"He would hold her, just hold her, while his hands soothed the bare skin of her arms and the delicate fabric that cloaked her shoulders and her back."
- 2 cover with or as if with a cloak wordnet
- 3 To cover up, hide or conceal. figuratively, transitive
"It’s possible that some microbes don’t just take up residence in tumors but help them grow. They may cloak the tumor from the immune system, neutralize drugs or help tumors spread through the body."
- 4 cover as if with clothing wordnet
- 5 To render or become invisible via futuristic technology. ambitransitive
"The ship cloaked before entering the enemy sector of space."
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- 6 hide under a false appearance wordnet
Example
"My wallet was stolen in the cloak room."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cloak"?
Common synonyms include: abaya, alibi, apology, apply, apply to, arm.
How do you use "cloak" in a sentence?
My wallet was stolen in the cloak room.
How do you pronounce "cloak"?
Pronounced /ˈkloʊk/.
Etymology
From Middle English cloke, from Old Northern French cloque (“travelling cloak”), from Medieval Latin clocca (“travelers' cape, literally “a bell”, so called from the garment’s bell-like shape”), of Celtic origin, from Proto-Celtic *klokkos, ultimately imitative. Doublet of cloche and clock.