Disguise - Definition And Meaning - Wordnik

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Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To modify the manner or appearance of (a person, for example) in order to prevent recognition.
  • transitive verb To make indistinct or difficult to perceive.
  • transitive verb To conceal or obscure by dissemblance or false show; misrepresent.
  • noun Clothes or accessories worn to conceal one's true identity.
  • noun Appearance that misrepresents the true character of something.
  • noun A pretense or misrepresentation.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To conceal the personal identity of, by changes of guise or usual appearance, such as those produced by differences in dress or in the hair or beard, the use of a mask, etc.
  • To conceal or cover up the real or original character of by a counterfeit form or appearance; cloak by false show, deceptive statement or speech, or an artificial manner: as, to disguise the handwriting; to disguise the taste of a drug; to disguise sentiments or intentions.
  • To alter the appearance of; make difficult of recognition by some change not intended for concealment.
  • To change in voice or behavior by the use of strong drink; intoxicate.
  • To distinguish by a difference of form or guise.
  • Synonyms Simulate, etc. (see dissemble), mask, veil.
  • noun That which disguises; something that serves or is intended for concealment of identity, character, or quality; a deceptive covering, condition, manner, etc.
  • noun The act of disguising, or the state of being disguised; a false or misleading appearance; concealment under a disguised form, manner, etc.: as, his attempted disguise was unsuccessful; a thief in disguise.
  • noun Change of behavior and utterance by drink; intoxication.
  • noun A masque; an interlude.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To change the guise or appearance of; especially, to conceal by an unusual dress, or one intended to mislead or deceive.
  • transitive verb To hide by a counterfeit appearance; to cloak by a false show; to mask
  • transitive verb To affect or change by liquor; to intoxicate.
  • noun A dress or exterior put on for purposes of concealment or of deception.
  • noun Artificial language or manner assumed for deception; false appearance; counterfeit semblance or show.
  • noun Change of manner by drink; intoxication.
  • noun obsolete A masque or masquerade.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An attire (e.g. clothing) used to hide one's identity or assume another.
  • noun figuratively The appearance of something on the outside which masks what's beneath.
  • noun The act of disguising, notably as a ploy
  • verb transitive To change the appearance of (a person or thing) so as to hide, or to assume an identity.
  • verb transitive To prevent giving away or revealing (something secret).

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the act of concealing the identity of something by modifying its appearance
  • noun any attire that modifies the appearance in order to conceal the wearer's identity
  • verb make unrecognizable
  • noun an outward semblance that misrepresents the true nature of something

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English disguisen, from Old French desguiser : des-, dis- + guise, manner; see guise.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English disgisen, disguisen, borrowed from Old French desguiser (modern déguiser), itself derived from des- "dis-" (from Latin dis-) + guise "guise" (from a Germanic source).

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Examples

  • That animals are only human beings in disguise is an axiom in the fairy tales.

    The Art of the Story-Teller 1915

  • Mousa fled in disguise from the palace of Boursa; traversed the Propontis in an open boat; wandered over the Walachian and Servian hills; and after some vain attempts, ascended the throne of Adrianople, so recently stained with the blood of Soliman.

    The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 1206

  • Jerusalem, as search is made for a malefactor in disguise, that is harboured by his accomplices.

    Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume IV (Isaiah to Malachi) 1721

  • Splithog Pauper, in disguise (CR classified, SitS p. 66) 1 goblin snake (CR1, Pathfinder #1) 1d4 Small monstrous centipedes (CR 1, MM p. 276)

    Life in the Wide World – Random Encounters « Geek Related 2009

  • This is why, when the fantasy turns out to be science fiction in disguise, I tend to like that a lot more.

    SF Fanatic: I Am Not A Fan Of Fantasy, Here's Why 2010

  • Is the despair of victims and misfits more abject because they can't foresee a reversal of fortune, or because they feel bereft of allies, or because they can't conceive of themselves as heroes in disguise?

    Elizabeth Cunningham: Fairy Tales: An Antidote to Bullying? Elizabeth Cunningham 2010

  • Is the despair of victims and misfits more abject because they can't foresee a reversal of fortune, or because they feel bereft of allies, or because they can't conceive of themselves as heroes in disguise?

    Elizabeth Cunningham: Fairy Tales: An Antidote to Bullying? Elizabeth Cunningham 2010

  • Another devious method of disguise is the principle of neglect: whereas some are painted a bright colour, many others are simply left au naturel, ensuring that they blend in well with the pavement to deceive even the most alert motorist.

    Free riding the roads of Mexico 2010

  • This became a blessing in disguise as we found ourselves at Mirai Sushi, which was one of my best sushi experiences

    Day 2 In Chicago Gives Even More Experience For Windsor Restaurateurs and Chef to Bring Home | WindsorEats.com FoodBlog 2010

  • The fantastic elements, gods and monsters, curses and destinies and princes in disguise, the fall of mighty cities in the ruin of war, and all which form the backbone of modern fantasy, are present in their original forms here.

    MIND MELD: Non-Genre Books for Genre Readers 2009

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synonyms (198)

Words with the same meaning

  1. accouter
  2. acting
  3. affect
  4. affectation
  5. appearance
  6. assume
  7. attitudinizing
  8. bad copy
  9. bad likeness
  10. ballet skirt
  11. becloud
  12. befog
  13. belie
  14. blanket
  15. blind
  16. bluff
  17. bluffing
  18. burlesque
  19. buskin
  20. camouflage
  21. cap and bells
  22. caparison
  23. caricature
  24. charade
  25. cheating
  26. cloak
  27. clothe
  28. cloud
  29. color
  30. coloring
  31. conceal
  32. concealment
  33. contrast
  34. costume
  35. counterfeit
  36. cover
  37. cover up
  38. cover-up
  39. covert
  40. curtain
  41. deceive
  42. deception
  43. delusion
  44. difference
  45. disparity
  46. dissemblance
  47. dissemble
  48. dissembling
  49. dissimilarity
  50. dissimilate
  51. dissimilation
  52. dissimilitude
  53. dissimulate
  54. dissimulation
  55. distort
  56. distract attention from
  57. divergence
  58. diversity
  59. domino
  60. dress up
  61. eclipse
  62. embellish
  63. embroider
  64. ensconce
  65. enshroud
  66. envelop
  67. equip
  68. exaggerate
  69. facade
  70. face
  71. fake
  72. fakery
  73. faking
  74. false air
  75. false colors
  76. false face
  77. false front
  78. false show
  79. falsify
  80. falsity
  81. feign
  82. feigning
  83. feint
  84. fit
  85. fit out
  86. form
  87. four-flushing
  88. fraud
  89. front
  90. fudge
  91. garble
  92. getup
  93. gild
  94. gilt
  95. gloss
  96. gloss over
  97. guise
  98. habit
  99. hide
  100. humbug
  101. humbuggery
  102. identity
  103. imposture
  104. incognito
  105. incommensurability
  106. incomparability
  107. intoxicate
  108. intoxication
  109. keep under cover
  110. make-believe
  111. makeup
  112. mask
  113. masque
  114. masquerade
  115. mere caricature
  116. meretriciousness
  117. miscite
  118. miscolor
  119. misquote
  120. misreport
  121. misrepresent
  122. misstate
  123. misteach
  124. motley
  125. muffle
  126. muffler
  127. mummery
  128. nonuniformity
  129. obfuscate
  130. obscure
  131. occult
  132. ostentation
  133. outfit
  134. outward show
  135. overdraw
  136. overstate
  137. pageant
  138. parody
  139. pervert
  140. playacting
  141. poor imitation
  142. pose
  143. posing
  144. posture
  145. pretend
  146. pretense
  147. pretension
  148. pretentiousness
  149. pretext
  150. protective coloration
  151. put-on
  152. representation
  153. rig
  154. rig out
  155. rig up
  156. screen
  157. secrete
  158. seeming
  159. semblance
  160. shade
  161. sham
  162. show
  163. shroud
  164. simulacrum
  165. simulate
  166. simulation
  167. slant
  168. slur over
  169. smoke screen
  170. sock
  171. speciousness
  172. strain
  173. suit
  174. tights
  175. titivate
  176. travesty
  177. trick out
  178. turn out
  179. tutu
  180. twist
  181. understate
  182. uniform
  183. unlikeness
  184. unresemblance
  185. unsameness
  186. unsimilarity
  187. varnish
  188. vary
  189. veil
  190. veneer
  191. visor
  192. vizard
  193. vizard mask
  194. warp
  195. whitewash
  196. window dressing
  197. wraps
  198. wrench

hypernyms (7)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. color
  2. colour
  3. concealing
  4. concealment
  5. gloss
  6. hiding
  7. semblance

same context (22)

Words that are found in similar contexts

  1. concealment
  2. contrivance
  3. costume
  4. deception
  5. evasion
  6. excuse
  7. explanation
  8. falsehood
  9. fashion
  10. garb
  11. guise
  12. illusion
  13. imitation
  14. invention
  15. lie
  16. manifestation
  17. mask
  18. occupation
  19. pretence
  20. representation
  21. restraint
  22. trick

forms (6)

Forms

  1. disguised
  2. disguises
  3. disguising
  4. disguisedly
  5. disguisement
  6. disguiser

rhymes (80)

Words with the same terminal sound

  1. Ais
  2. Allies
  3. Guise
  4. Guys
  5. Lise
  6. Marseilles
  7. Thais
  8. Wise
  9. advise
  10. ais
  11. allies
  12. applies
  13. apprise
  14. arise
  15. ayes
  16. baptize
  17. belies
  18. bise
  19. buys
  20. chastise
  21. complies
  22. comprise
  23. cries
  24. decries
  25. decriminalize
  26. defies
  27. demise
  28. denies
  29. despise
  30. devise
  31. dies
  32. dries
  33. dyes
  34. emprise
  35. eyes
  36. flies
  37. fries
  38. geis
  39. goodbyes
  40. grise
  41. guise
  42. guys
  43. highs
  44. implies
  45. improvise
  46. incise
  47. kyes
  48. lies
  49. marseilles
  50. misapplies
  51. oversize
  52. pies
  53. pint-size
  54. plies
  55. pries
  56. prize
  57. relies
  58. replies
  59. reprise
  60. revise
  61. rise
  62. sensationalize
  63. shies
  64. sighs
  65. size
  66. skies
  67. spies
  68. supplies
  69. surmise
  70. surprise
  71. thighs
  72. ties
  73. tries
  74. underlies
  75. unwise
  76. upsize
  77. vies
  78. whys
  79. wise
  80. wyse

Wordmap

(beta)

Word visualization

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • sonofgroucho commented on the word disguise

    See also "guiser".

    November 5, 2007

  • dailyword commented on the word disguise

    Holmes did this a lot when he was working on cases, and so did Artie.

    September 12, 2012

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