Cover vs. Tar — What's the Difference?

To place something upon or over, so as to protect or conceal

Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat.Mineral products resembling tar can be produced from fossil hydrocarbons, such as petroleum.

To overlay or spread with something

A dark, thick flammable liquid distilled from wood or coal, consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons, resins, alcohols, and other compounds. It is used in road-making and for coating and preserving timber.

To put a cover or covering on

A sailor.

To hide or screen from view or knowledge; conceal. Often used with up

Cover (something) with tar

To do something that gains for (oneself) a quality or association

A dark, oily, viscous material, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons, produced by the destructive distillation of organic substances such as wood, coal, or peat.

To be spread over the surface of

See coal tar.

To lie over or adhere to so as to protect or conceal

A solid residue of tobacco smoke containing byproducts of combustion.

To extend over

A sailor.

To travel or pass over

To coat with or as if with tar.

To have as one's territory or sphere of work

A black, oily, sticky, viscous substance, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons derived from organic materials such as wood, peat, or coal.

To protect from loss. Used of insurance

Coal tar.

To take measures to prevent (oneself) from being held responsible for something

(uncountable) A solid residual byproduct of tobacco smoke.

To be enough to pay for or make up for

A sailor, because of the traditional tarpaulin clothes.

To have as a subject; deal with

(uncountable) Black tar, a form of heroin.

To be responsible for reporting the details of (an event or situation)

(computing) A program for archiving files, common on Unix systems.

To apply to or take into account

(computing) A file produced by such a program.

To protect by having within range or by firing a weapon

A Persian long-necked, waisted string instrument, shared by many cultures and countries in the Middle East and the Caucasus.

To aim a firearm at

A single-headed round frame drum originating in North Africa and the Middle East.

To guard (an opponent playing offense).

(transitive) To coat with tar.

To defend (a position or area)

(transitive) To besmirch.

To match (an opponent's stake) in a wager.

To create a tar archive.

To purchase (stock that one has shorted).

A sailor; a seaman.

(Games) To play a higher-ranking card than (the one previously played).

A thick, black, viscous liquid obtained by the distillation of wood, coal, etc., and having a varied composition according to the temperature and material employed in obtaining it.

To perform or record (music previously recorded or popularized by another)

To smear with tar, or as with tar; as, to tar ropes; to tar cloth.

To perform or record music first recorded or popularized by (another)

Any of various dark heavy viscid substances obtained as a residue

To copulate with (a female). Used especially of horses.

A man who serves as a sailor

To spread over a surface to protect or conceal something

Coat with tar;

To act as a substitute or replacement during someone's absence

To hide something in order to save someone from censure or punishment

(Games) To play a higher card than the one previously played.

A lid or top.

A binding or outer part for a book or magazine.

A bedcover.

A protective overlay, as for a mattress or furniture.

Shelter or protection

Strategic protection given by armed units during hostile action

Something, such as vegetation, covering the surface of the ground.

Vegetation, such as underbrush, serving as protective concealment for wild animals.

Something, such as darkness, that screens, conceals, or disguises.

A false identity, especially for a spy.

An activity or organization that is used to conceal an illegal or secret activity

A layer of clouds obscuring the sky or ground.

A table setting for one person

A cover charge.

An envelope or wrapper for mail.

Funds sufficient to meet an obligation or secure against loss.

One who substitutes for another

(Music) A recording or performance of a song that was previously recorded or popularized by another.

A lid.

(uncountable) Area or situation which screens a person or thing from view.

The front and back of a book, magazine, CD package, etc.

The top sheet of a bed.

A cloth or similar material, often fitted, placed over an item such as a car or sofa or food to protect it from dust, rain, insects, etc. when not being used.

A cover charge.

A setting at a restaurant table or formal dinner.

(music) A new performance or rerecording of a previously recorded song; a cover version; a cover song.

(cricket) A fielding position on the off side, between point and mid off, about 30° forward of square; a fielder in this position.

A collection (or family) of subsets of a given set, whose union contains every element of said original set.

(philately) An envelope complete with stamps and postmarks etc.

(military) A solid object, including terrain, that provides protection from enemy fire.

(legal) In commercial law, a buyer’s purchase on the open market of goods similar or identical to the goods contracted for after a seller has breached a contract of sale by failure to deliver the goods contracted for.

(insurance) An insurance contract; coverage by an insurance contract.

(espionage) A persona maintained by a spy or undercover operative; cover story.

(dated) A swindler's confederate.

The portion of a slate, tile, or shingle that is hidden by the overlap of the course above.

In a steam engine, the lap of a slide valve.

(construction) The distance between reinforcing steel and the exterior of concrete.

Of or pertaining to the front cover of a book or magazine.

(music) Of, pertaining to, or consisting of cover versions.

(transitive) To place something over or upon, as to conceal or protect.

(transitive) To be over or upon, as to conceal or protect.

(transitive) To be upon all of, so as to completely conceal.

(transitive) To set upon all of, so as to completely conceal.

To put on one's hat.

(transitive) To invest (oneself with something); to bring upon (oneself).

(of a publication) To discuss thoroughly; to provide coverage of.

To deal with or include someone or something.

To be enough money for.

(intransitive) To act as a replacement.

(transitive) To have as an assignment or responsibility.

(music) To make a cover version of (a song that was originally recorded by another artist).

To protect using an aimed firearm and the threat of firing; or to protect using continuous, heaving fire at or in the direction of the enemy so as to force the enemy to remain in cover; or to threaten using an aimed firearm.

To provide insurance coverage for.

To copulate with (said of certain male animals such as dogs and horses).

To protect or control (a piece or square).

To extend over a given period of time or range, to occupy, to stretch over a given area.

To traverse or put behind a certain distance.

(sports) To defend (mark) a particular player or area.

To overspread the surface of (one thing) with another; as, to cover wood with paint or lacquer; to cover a table with a cloth.

To envelop; to clothe, as with a mantle or cloak.

To invest (one's self with something); to bring upon (one's self); as, he covered himself with glory.

To hide sight; to conceal; to cloak; as, the enemy were covered from our sight by the woods.

To brood or sit on; to incubate.

To shelter, as from evil or danger; to protect; to defend; as, the cavalry covered the retreat.

To remove from remembrance; to put away; to remit.

To extend over; to be sufficient for; to comprehend, include, or embrace; to account for or solve; to counterbalance; as, a mortgage which fully covers a sum loaned on it; a law which covers all possible cases of a crime; receipts than do not cover expenses.

To put the usual covering or headdress on.

To copulate with (a female); to serve; as, a horse covers a mare; - said of the male.

To spread a table for a meal; to prepare a banquet.

Anything which is laid, set, or spread, upon, about, or over, another thing; an envelope; a lid; as, the cover of a book.

Anything which veils or conceals; a screen; disguise; a cloak.

Shelter; protection; as, the troops fought under cover of the batteries; the woods afforded a good cover.

The woods, underbrush, etc., which shelter and conceal game; covert; as, to beat a cover; to ride to cover.

The lap of a slide valve.

A tablecloth, and the other table furniture; esp., the table furniture for the use of one person at a meal; as, covers were laid for fifty guests.

A covering that serves to conceal or shelter something;

Bedding that keeps a person warm in bed;

The act of concealing the existence of something by obstructing the view of it;

The front and back covering of a book;

A natural object that covers or envelops;

Covering for a hole (especially a hole in the top of a container);

Fire that makes it difficult for the enemy to fire on your own individuals or formations;

A fixed charge by a restaurant or night club over and above the charge for food and drink

A recording of a song that was first recorded or made popular by somebody else;

A false identity and background (especially one created for an undercover agent);

Provide with a covering or cause to be covered;

Form a cover over;

Span an interval of distance, space or time;

Provide for;

Deal with verbally or in some form of artistic expression;

Include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory;

Travel across or pass over;

Be responsible for reporting the details of, as in journalism;

Hold within range of an aimed firearm

To take an action to protect against future problems;

Hide from view or knowledge;

Protect or defend (a position in a game);

Maintain a check on; especially by patrolling;

Protect by insurance;

Make up for shortcomings or a feeling of inferiority by exaggerating good qualities;

Invest with a large or excessive amount of something;

Help out by taking someone's place and temporarily assuming his responsibilities;

Be sufficient to meet, defray, or offset the charge or cost of;

Spread over a surface to conceal or protect;

Cover as if with a shroud;

Copulate with a female, used especially of horses;

Put something on top of something else;

Play a higher card than the one previously played;

Be responsible for guarding an opponent in a game

Sit on (eggs);

Clothe, as if for protection from the elements;