掩

1. Physical occlusion: covering with the hand, pushing shut (e.g., a door), or shielding.

2. Concealment and suppression: hiding or keeping secret; applies to physical objects as well as abstract entities (facts, identities).

3. Tactical cover: use of cover for the purpose of ambush or surprise attack.

Primarily a transitive verb. In certain contexts, it may function as a resultative describing the state of being shut or covered.

• vs 蓋 (gài): While both mean "cover," 蓋 typically refers to a lid or covering object; 掩 emphasizes the manual action of covering or pushing closed.
• vs 蔽 (bì): 蔽 focuses on blocking vision, light, or access, often via a structural screen or permanent barrier; 掩 is more immediate and gesture-based.
• vs 藏 (zàng): 藏 refers to the act of storing away or the state of being hidden in a place; 掩 is the specific act of covering something up.

Semantic variants include U+63DC and U+63DE, which involve different renderings of the 奄 component; these are paleographic or regional variations that do not alter lexical meaning.