The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word HATCH
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
H
A
T
C
H
More clues leading to the result HATCH
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Covering" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case covering = hatch.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does HATCH mean?
HATCH noun- A horizontal door in a floor or ceiling.
- A trapdoor.
- An opening in a wall at window height for the purpose of serving food or other items. A pass through.
- A small door in large mechanical structures and vehicles such as aircraft and spacecraft often provided for access for maintenance.
- An opening through the deck of a ship or submarine
- A gullet.
- A frame or weir in a river, for catching fish.
- A floodgate; a sluice gate.
- A bedstead.
- An opening into, or in search of, a mine.
- To close with a hatch or hatches.
- The act of hatching.
- Development; disclosure; discovery.
- (poultry) A group of birds that emerged from eggs at a specified time.
- (often as mayfly hatch) The phenomenon, lasting 1–2 days, of large clouds of mayflies appearing in one location to mate, having reached maturity.
- A birth, the birth records (in the newspaper) — compare the phrase "hatched, matched, and dispatched."
- (of young animals) To emerge from an egg.
- (of eggs) To break open when a young animal emerges from it.
- To incubate eggs; to cause to hatch.
- To devise.
- To shade an area of (a drawing, diagram, etc.) with fine parallel lines, or with lines which cross each other (cross-hatch).
- To cross; to spot; to stain; to steep.