Definition of "cover letter" []

• A letter sent with other documents to explain more fully or provide more information. Also called covering letter. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Let’s see, you might use Freedom of Information to get FN’s original cover letter to the FBI seeking submission paperwork for the sniper rifle contract trials."
• "6. When you respond to a “help wanted” ad, ask a third party to write a cover letter for your resume on his or her letter-head."