Definition

1. Noun:

   • A burial garment: A cloth or sheet in which a corpse is wrapped for burial.
   • Something that conceals or obscures: A thing that envelops or hides something, like a veil or covering of secrecy.
   • (Nautical) A supporting rope or cable: One of a set of ropes or wires, usually in pairs, that support a ship's mast from the sides.

2. Verb:

   • To wrap a body for burial: To dress or envelop a corpse in a shroud.
   • To cover or conceal: To envelop or obscure something as if with a veil, often making it difficult to see or understand.

Examples

• Noun:

  • The ancient mummy was still wrapped in its linen shroud.
  • A shroud of fog descended upon the valley, hiding the village from view.
  • The sailor checked the tension on the starboard shroud.

• Verb:

  • The tradition was to shroud the deceased in a simple white cloth.
  • Darkness began to shroud the forest as the sun set.
  • The government's actions are shrouded in secrecy.

Advanced Usage

• "Shroud of secrecy/mystery": A situation or subject that is deliberately kept hidden or is not understood.
  • The details of the peace negotiations were conducted under a shroud of secrecy.
• "Shroud of silence": A state of complete quiet or refusal to speak about something.
  • A shroud of silence fell over the room after the shocking announcement.

Variants and Related Words

• Shrouded (adj.): Covered or concealed.
  • The shrouded figure moved silently through the graveyard.
• Shrouding (n./gerund): The action or material that covers something.
  • The shrouding of the statue took several days.

Synonyms

• Noun (for covering): Veil, cloak, mantle, pall, blanket.
• Verb (to cover): Envelop, cloak, veil, obscure, conceal.

Phrasal Verbs / Related Constructions

• "To be shrouded in": To be covered or enveloped by something (often abstract like mystery, fog, darkness).
  • The old legend is shrouded in myth.
  • The mountains were shrouded in clouds.

Related Idioms

• "A shroud has no pockets": A proverb meaning you can't take material wealth with you when you die; similar to "you can't take it with you."
  • He finally stopped hoarding his money, remembering that a shroud has no pockets.

Noun

1. burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped
2. (nautical) a line (rope or chain) that regulates the angle at which a sail is set in relation to the wind
3. a line that suspends the harness from the canopy of a parachute

Verb

1. wrap in a shroud
   • shroud the corpses
2. form a cover like a shroud
   • Mist shrouded the castle
3. cover as if with a shroud
   • The origins of this civilization are shrouded in mystery