C16: from Anglo-French: a covered woman, one protected by marriage
feme covert in American English
(ˈfɛmˈ kʌvərt)
Law
a married woman
Word origin
OFr, lit., woman covered
feme covert in American English
(ˈkʌvərt)
nounWord forms: pluralfemes covert
Law
a married woman
Word origin
[1520–30; ‹ AF: covered (protected) woman]This word is first recorded in the period 1520–30. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: accent, monkey, normal, pilot, ribbon