undercover

Everyday

1. Undercover means working secretly, pretending to be someone else, to find out information, as police or spies do. tree →
2. (adverb) To go undercover is to start working in this secret way. tree →
3. (sometimes «under cover») Under cover means under a roof or shelter, out of the rain. tree →

In the lessons

In stories and crime shows: undercover police, undercover agents, undercover reporters. It tells the reader a character is hiding who they really are. In everyday life «under cover» (two words) means sheltered: «Keep your bike under cover».

Examples

• The undercover officer pretended to be a builder. tree →
• The reporter went undercover to find out the truth. tree →
• In the film, the spy worked undercover for years. tree →
• An undercover inspector ate at the café. tree →
• Keep the logs under cover so they stay dry. tree →
• My cat went undercover under the bed when the hoover came out. (joking) tree →

Note

Usually one word for secret work: «undercover», and two words for shelter: «under cover». It does not mean «under a blanket».