gedeckt

Gedeckt is a German adjective and the past participle of the verb decken. It denotes that something is covered or laid out. The term is used in both literal and figurative senses and appears in everyday speech as well as in specialized jargon.

In everyday language, gedeckt most commonly describes a table that has been prepared for a meal. Phrases such as der Tisch ist gedeckt or ein gedeckter Tisch refer to a table laid with dishes, utensils and glassware. The word can also describe surfaces that are covered or protected in a general sense.

Gedeckt is also used in colour and tone descriptions. When colours or tones are described as gedeckt, they are muted, restrained or understated, for example gedeckte Farben or gedeckte Töne.

In finance and law, gedeckt occurs in specialized expressions such as gedeckte Optionen (covered options). A gedeckte Option is an option that is backed by an underlying asset, a structure intended to reduce risk for the writer of the option.

Grammatically, gedeckt inflects as an adjective. The attributive form is declined according to the noun it describes (e.g., ein gedeckter Tisch, gedeckte Farben), while the predicative form appears in sentences like Der Tisch ist gedeckt. The term is neutral in tone and does not imply any value judgement beyond its literal sense of being covered or set.