the.com/cove

means A small, sheltered bay or recess in a coastline, often partly enclosed and tucked away from the open water.

from From Old English 'cofa,' meaning a small chamber, inner room, or den — the same snug sense you find in 'cubbyhole.' It has Germanic cousins (Old Norse 'kofi,' a hut or shed) all pointing back to the idea of a tucked-away little space. Over time the indoor 'cofa' drifted outdoors, and by the 1500s the word was being used for the sheltered nooks the sea carves into the land — a coastline's own private room.