recouvrent

Recouvrent is the third-person plural present tense form of the French verb recouvrir, and it can also come from the related verb recouvrer. In written French, the form is identical for both verbs in this person and tense, making context essential to determine the exact meaning. The general sense of recouvrir is to cover again or to cover something with a layer; it can also mean to recover or reclaim in certain contexts when the related verb recouvrer is used.

Etymology and usage

The verb derives from prefix re- (again) combined with couvrir (to cover). The sense of placing a new layer or material over a surface is common in everyday language, as in weathering, construction, or decoration. The phrase recouvrir quelque chose de quelque chose is a standard construction meaning to cover something with something else, for example, recouvrir le sol d’un tapis (to cover the floor with a rug). The sense related to recovery or reclamation appears with recouvrer, as in recouvrer des pertes (to recoup or recover losses) or recouvrer sa mémoire (to regain one’s memory).

Examples and notes

- La neige recouvre le toit. (The snow covers the roof.)

- Ils recouvrent le sol d’un tapis. (They cover the floor with a carpet.)

- Le temps peut recouvrir les traces du passé. (Time can cover up the traces of the past.)

Recouvrent thus operates across literal, physical coverage and more figurative notions of covering, reclaiming, or recovering, with the precise sense inferred from accompanying elements.