overt

Etymology

From Middle English overt, uverte (“open, uncovered; unfastened; accessible, unobstructed; clear, manifest”), from Anglo-Norman overt, Middle French ouvert, Old French overt, ouvert, uvert (“opened”) (modern French ouvert), past participle of Anglo-Norman, Old French ovrir, ouvrir, uvrir (“to open”), from Late Latin operire, variant of Latin aperīre (“to open”), from aperiō (“to open, uncover”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó (“away; from”) + *h₂wer- (“to cover, shut”). The English word is a doublet of ouvert.

adj

1. Open and not concealed or secret.
   The buſineſs of Overt-Acts is, where the Compaſſing and Imagining the King's Death is the Crime and Queſtion, and this muſt be diſcover'd by Overt-Acts. But if the Treaſon be falſifying of the King's Money, this is Treaſon, but there can be no Overt-Act of that, for that is an Overt-Act in it ſelf; but there muſt be an Overt-Act to prove the Compaſſing and Imagining the Death of the King, and in no other ſort of Treaſon. 31 October 1696, The Tryal, and Condemnation of Capt. Thomas Vaughan. For High Treason, in Adhering to the French-King, and for Endeavouring the Destruction of His Majesty’s Ships in the Nore.[…], London: Printed for John Everingham[…], published 1697, →OCLC, page 11
   [T]he essence of a sale in a market overt is, that the goods should be openly exposed in the ordinary way, and also that the whole transaction should take place there, and at one time. If a man make a contract for certain goods which are not in market overt, and subsequently the goods are delivered, and the property ultimately passes in market overt, that would not be within the privilege of market overt, … 28 April 1864, Justice Blackburn [i.e., Colin Blackburn, Baron Blackburn], “Crane v. The London Dock Company”, in The Jurist.[…], volume X, part I, number 511 (New Series), London: H. Sweet,[…]; Stevens, Sons, & Haynes,[…]; Dublin: Hodges, Smith, & Co.,[…], published 22 October 1864, →OCLC, pages 987–988
   Students receive hidden messages from their participation in classroom activites, by attending school and by virtue of the context of school in society. … Educators have argued that children should, for example, acquire non-sexist approaches to the learning of values and attitudes in schools and that it is the curriculum's direct responsibility to enhance that learning. Consequently action must be taken in the overt curriculum to overcome the learnings acquired through the hidden curriculum. 1993, Murray Print, “Introducing Curriculum”, in Curriculum Development and Design, 2nd edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, pages 12–13
   How do we know that power is operating in certain social relationships? … This is not such a problem where there is a clear and overt conflict of interest … but what of those situations where there is no such awareness; where domination exists in the absence of overt violence or even conflict? 1999, Deidre Wicks, “A New Framework”, in Nurses and Doctors at Work: Rethinking Professional Boundaries, Sydney, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, pages 20–21
2. (heraldry) Disclosed.
   Arg. an eagle rising wings overt inverted sa. armed or. HILTOFTE, V. 1874, John Woody Papworth, An Alphabetical Dictionary of Coats of Arms Belonging to Families in Great Britain and Ireland, page 298