掩
cover; conceal; close; trap
Meanings
4 senses · 20 examplesverb
to cover; to conceal; to hide from view
literaryLiterary or variant form of 掩. Used for physically covering something to hide it.
She covered her mouth and laughed, feeling embarrassed.
The truth about this matter cannot be concealed from people.
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He strolled in the courtyard with his coat covering his chest unbuttoned.
Dark clouds covered the bright moon.
She covered her face with a fan.
verb
to close; to shut (a book, door, etc.)
literaryLiterary variant of 掩. Used for closing books, doors, or containers.
He gently closed the book after reading it.
The door was left ajar, not fully closed.
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Please close the window, the wind is too strong.
She closed the box and carefully put it away.
The pages were blown into disarray by the wind, and he quickly closed the book.
verb
to pinch; to get caught (when closing a door or lid)
dialectDialect usage. Refers to the accidental trapping of body parts when closing doors, lids, or drawers.
Be careful, my hand got pinched by the door, it hurts terribly.
The drawer pinched my finger.
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Be careful not to get your hand caught when closing the door.
The box lid suddenly fell down and caught the corner of his clothes.
The window pinched my finger.
verb
to attack or capture by surprise; to take advantage of someone's unpreparedness
archaicLiterary and archaic usage. Often used in military or hunting contexts.
The enemy attacked by surprise at night, and our troops were caught off guard.
The hunter captured that wild beast by surprise.
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We decided to launch a surprise attack on the enemy camp and catch them off guard.
The ambush troops rushed out by surprise, surrounding them on all sides.
Take them by surprise, attack when they are unprepared.