shroud

A shroud is a length of cloth used to wrap a body for burial. Derived from Old English scrūd, meaning cloth or covering, the term has long been associated with funerary usage, though it also denotes any cloth that covers the body or a tomb.

More broadly, shroud refers to any covering or veil that conceals, protects, or surrounds something. For example, a fog bank can shroud a valley, and a protective layer may shroud sensitive equipment from dust or light.

In nautical contexts, shrouds are part of the standing rigging: the cables or ropes that support a ship's mast from the sides. They run from the mast to the hull and help keep the mast upright and stable.

The Shroud of Turin is a famous linen cloth kept in Turin, Italy, believed by some to bear the image of Jesus. Its authenticity and dating have been the subject of extensive scientific and religious debate, and radiocarbon analyses conducted in the late 1980s were widely discussed and contested in subsequent years.

As a verb, shroud means to cover or enclose so as to obscure or protect. For example, a mountain range can be shrouded in mist, or a scene can be shrouded in secrecy until official confirmation is made.

In popular culture, Shroud is also the online handle of Michael Grzesiek, a well-known streamer and former professional gamer.