cover and covering share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. cover means “provide with a covering or cause to be covered”. covering means “a natural object that covers or envelops”. cover is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkʌvɚ/
1.v.provide with a covering or cause to be covered
“cover her face with a handkerchief”
2.v.form a cover over
“The grass covered the grave”
3.v.span an interval of distance, space or time
“The war extended over five years”
/ˈkʌvɚɪŋ/
1.n.a natural object that covers or envelops
“under a covering of dust”
2.n.an artifact that covers something else (usually to protect or shelter or conceal it)
3.n.the act of concealing the existence of something by obstructing the view of it
“the cover concealed their guns from enemy aircraft”
| cover | covering | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkʌvɚ/ | /ˈkʌvɚɪŋ/ |
| Said | KUHV-ur | KUHV-ur-ing |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Letters | 5 | 8 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | noun |
| Senses | 36 | 5 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | natural covering, cover |
Full entry for cover · Full entry for covering · More comparisons