1. plural of coverture; the legal status of a married woman under common law whereby her rights were subsumed under those of her husband
Usage: legal; historical
2. plural of coverture; shelters or coverings that provide protection
Usage: archaic

Examples

• The legal doctrine of covertures was gradually abolished in most Western countries during the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Under the old system of covertures, married women could not own property in their own names.
• The historian studied how covertures affected women’s economic independence in colonial America.
• Legal reforms dismantled the traditional covertures that had governed marriage for centuries.
• The ancient covertures provided shelter from the harsh mountain winds.
• Travelers sought refuge under the stone covertures built along the old trade routes.