camouflagen.
/ˈkaməflɑː(d)ʒ/, U.S. /ˈkæməˌflɑ(d)ʒ/ 1. Disguise, concealment; (now) esp. a means of, or the action of, misleading someone or disguising the truth.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > hiding, concealing from view > means of concealment > [noun]
shadowc1200
blindfolding?c1225
coverturec1374
hiding1382
veilc1384
palliation?c1425
covert1574
panoply1576
hoodwink1577
mask1597
cover1600
screena1616
pretexture1618
purdah1621
subterfuge1621
tecture1624
coverlet1628
domino1836
face shield1842
concealment1847
protective colouring1873
camouflage1885
protective coloration1892
smokescreen1926
cover-up1927
scrim1942
marzipan1945
1885 tr. F. Du Boisgobey Old Age of Lecoq vii, in Sensational Novels I. i. 23 He was also master in the art of camoufflage or disguise, his face being without age and readily changed to any style of physiognomy.
1918 G. B. Shaw in Nation 9 Feb. 599/1 The first necessity of such souls when truth is about, as it always is, is camouflage, or, better still, complete cover.
1920 R. Macaulay Potterism i. iii It's a very laudable object, and needs no camouflage.
1963 V. Nabokov Gift iv. 251 Striped and spotted with words, dressed in verbal camouflage, the important idea he wished to convey would slip through.
1973 E. Jong Fear of Flying (1974) ii. 23 Their mildly leftist political views, their signing of peace petitions..were just camouflage.
2008 J. Burchill in J. Burchill & C. Newkey-Burden Not in my Name 125 Crypto-fascist movements co-opting the national flag as a camouflage for their own scummy and highly unBritish antics.
2.
a. The action or technique of disguising military vehicles, weapons, installations, or personnel; (also) the resulting state of concealment. Now also in more general use with reference to other situations requiring stealth, such as hunting.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > hiding, concealing from view > means of concealment > [noun] > for military purposes
camouflage1915
smokescreen1915
dazzle1917
1915 MS War Diary (7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment) 13 Aug. (Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records: X550/8/1) Headquarters visited Amiens to visit French..GOC Brig and Div and Gen. Morland..methods of French confluage [read camouflage].
1917 Contemp. Rev. Apr. 477 Less-experienced Tommies were being taught camouflage of dug-outs.
1918 Pop. Sci. Monthly July 47/2 The observer..fails to detect its muzzle through the foliage... This is an example of camouflage as it is practiced in the European war.
1941 Flying Mag. Sept. 235/2 The Engineers..are charged with the camouflage of airdromes and military installations to reduce their visibility and the likelihood of attack from the air.
1976 R. Massey When I was Young xvi. 122 Only at close range could these splinter-proofs and gun pits be seen; camouflage..had been carried out.
1997 B. K. Issenman Sinews of Survival iv. 102 The overall appearance of ticking is white, providing camouflage for the hunter.
2003 S. Greenfield Tomorrow's People (2004) viii. 230 ‘Low-observable’ paints are emerging, made of composite materials to optimize camouflage.
b. Something used to disguise or conceal military vehicles, weapons, installations, or personnel, esp. by making them difficult to distinguish from their surroundings. Now also in more general use with reference to other situations requiring stealth, such as hunting.Military camouflage includes objects such as foliage and netting, and patterns and colours on vehicles, uniforms, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > defence > defensive work(s) > shelter or screen > [noun] > camouflage
camouflage1916
1916 Cornhill Mag. July 54 The shells, which a simple camouflage of white tarpaulins effectually hid from the enemy.
1918 Stars & Stripes 15 Feb. 3/5 Mud and khaki make a perfect camouflage.
1942 Time 14 Dec. 82/2 They said he could buzz the camouflage off the top of a hangar without touching it.
1987 D. Schuh Bowhunter's Encycl. 142/2 If anything will catch an animal's eye, it will be that [hand] movement, so camouflage on hands can be significant.
1993 P. Ouellette Deus Machine xxvii. 404 A sleek combat ship covered with camouflage and hovering about twenty feet above the vacant lot.
2013 Hindustan Times (Nexis) 26 Sept. The militants used leaves and shrubs as camouflage to escape thermal detectors.
3. Zoology. The natural disguise or concealment of an animal (or its nest or eggs) from predators or prey brought about by coloration, markings, features of shape or behaviour, etc., that make it difficult to distinguish from its surroundings. Cf. crypsis n. 2.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > animal body > markings or colourings > [noun] > cryptic or protective coloration
protective coloration1892
homochromy1899
camouflage1917
procrypsis1920
colour scheme1925
scheme of colour1925
crypsis1956
crypticity1956
1917 Outpost Mag. (17th Battalion Highland Light Infantry) Aug. 120/2 For natural camouflage we will take the zebra, the tiger, the lion.
1918 Condor 20 109 The secrecy and camouflage of the nest of the hummer, kinglet, etc.
1931 E. G. Boulenger Fishes xx. 160 The much discussed lure is in all probability simply a piece of camouflage which most creatures accept as a frond of weed (Laminaria).
1972 M. J. Ursin Life in & around Salt Marshes 77 (caption) The American bittern is best known for its camouflage techniques. When approached it stands upright, absolutely still, with its bill pointed straight upward, blending with the surrounding tall grass.
2007 Nature 10 May 148/1 Their camouflage comprises a number of aspects, including matching the background colour (crypsis) and using disruptive patterns that make it harder to distinguish the moth's outline.
4. Clothing designed to disguise or conceal its wearer, typically having a mottled pattern in shades of green, brown, or grey, and worn by military personnel or (later) hunters. Now also: clothing designed with this pattern, worn as a fashion item. Cf. Compounds 1b.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > [noun] > for specific purpose > other
dress1539
khilat1684
sweaters1828
tropicals1880
trade dress1887
sportswear1903
rat-catcher1910
rainwear1913
beach-wear1928
transitioner1941
camouflage1945
warm-up1949
buoyancy garment1962
athleisure1976
1945 Manch. Guardian 12 Jan. 5/1 Unlike another unit which had been wearing camouflage designed for mud and green fields, this one had begun to get white overalls.
1958 News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.) 1 Apr. ii. 3/5 (caption) Some hunters wear camouflage to blend into the landscape.
1973 Field & Stream Jan. 20/1 We were dressed head-to-toe in green and tan camouflage to match our surroundings.
1995 Soma May 21/1 I'd become one of those creepy guys who dress up in camouflage..and play thirty-hour-long simulations of obscure World War II conflicts.
2003 J. Bettie Women without Class 179 The scene was characterized by elements of rural culture: one girl appeared in an American flag T-shirt; a couple of boys wore camouflage.
Compounds
C1.
a. General attributive.
ΚΠ
1915 S. J. Solomon Let. 18 Dec. in N. Rankin Churchill's Wizards (2008) vi. 81 The French are making what they call ‘camouflage’ objects to serve as artillery observation outposts and have offered to make these for the British Army.
1916 Spectator 19 Aug. 215/2 A soldier lying full in the sun in front of some shrubs, yet nearly invisible thanks to the camouflage treatment of his service uniform.
1917 Daily Mail 16 July 5/3 The King paid a visit to what is called a camouflage factory.
1922 C. E. Montague Disenchantment viii. 108 A French aerodrome across which the French camouflage painters had simply painted a great white high-road.
1948 Sci. News 7 84 Features..which in a normal colour photograph might escape detection could often be clearly differentiated in this ‘camouflage detection’ film.
1958 J. E. Morton Molluscs ii. 40 Herbivorous aplysioids rely mainly on camouflage colours, such as mottled greens, browns and yellows.
1991 in B. MacArthur Despatches from Gulf War 253 They would arrive at night, dig shallow holes.., and then cover themselves with camouflage netting and sand.
2012 New Yorker 6 Feb. 23/2 Kelly served in Europe during the Second World War with an Army camouflage unit.
b. attributive, designating a type of clothing originally worn by military personnel for concealment and typically having a mottled pattern in shades of green, brown, or grey, as camouflage suit, camouflage fatigues, camouflage clothing, etc.
ΚΠ
1918 N.Y. Times 14 Mar. 1/5 Sunday night an American patrol brought in an enemy sniper's camouflage suit, made of woven brownish coloured grass.
1940 Irish Times 30 Dec. 4/6 I got rather a shock the other day when I saw a soldier wearing a camouflage cape.
1964 L. Deighton Funeral in Berlin xxxii. 171 They wore camouflage smocks and steel helmets... They were front-line troops, not Waffen S.S.
1969 Field & Stream Jan. 48 Our camouflage clothing blended into the cover.
1988 L. Mitchell & P. Rehak Undercover Agent (1989) xi. 136 Fit-looking men in dark camouflage fatigues.
1995 Independent 5 Oct. 13/1 Two blondes in green camouflage micro-skirts are standing guard on stiletto heels over a Harley-Davidson motorbike.
2010 Vanity Fair July 86/1 The camp boss arrives for breakfast in his usual ensemble: a T-shirt, camouflage khakis, a Glock handgun in his waistband.
c. Instrumental and parasynthetic, as camouflage-covered, camouflage-painted, camouflage-uniformed, etc., adjectives.
ΚΠ
1921 W. B. Williams Munitions Manuf. in Philadelphia Ordnance District i. 63 Wheels, artillery, assembled complete, and camouflage painted.
1943 Portsmouth (New Hampsh.) Herald 23 Aug. 6/4 (caption) Marine chaplain Paul J. Redmond holds services for camouflage clad Marine raiders a few moments before they go into action.
1980 Washington Post 7 Nov. a25/1 A two-hour motorized parade of camouflage-uniformed Iraqi soldiers.
1994 Esquire Feb. 96/3 Young urban men have taken to wearing real camouflage-patterned clothing.
2009 F. G. Cottam Magdalena Curse (2011) ii. 44 The three men..walked the short distance to the small camouflage-covered tent erected as a command centre.
C2.
camouflage-green n. and adj. (a) n. a dull shade of green esp. associated with camouflage clothing; (b) adj. of this shade of green.
ΚΠ
1917 Salt Lake (Utah) Tel. 14 Oct. 6/7 The ‘camouflage green’ comes in two shades. It is of the tone of the foliage and it is not hard to imagine that a car [printed card] in these colors would be hidden before a background of green.
1942 Abilene (Texas) Reporter-News 1 Mar. (advt.) All the way, it's Navy!.. An outstanding success when it combines forces with unity blue, Liberty red, American eagle gold or camouflage green.
1943 Pop. Sci. Monthly Sept. 102/1 Camouflage-green canvas tops..make it possible for the new boots to withstand repeated soakings.
1993 A. Toffler & H. Toffler War & Anti-war vii.54 It was a thin Xeroxed pamphlet in a camouflage-green cover.
2001 Times 7 Apr. (Travel section) 6/2 We continued to climb, on to a hillside the brindled colours of the Scottish Highlands, tan, sage and camouflage green.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
camouflagev.
/ˈkaməflɑː(d)ʒ/, U.S. /ˈkæməˌflɑ(d)ʒ/ 1. transitive. To conceal or disguise the presence of (a person, animal, or object) by means of camouflage; to paint, cover, etc., with camouflage. Also reflexive.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > hiding, concealing from view > means of concealment > conceal by disguise [verb (transitive)]
beclout?c1225
disguisea1375
veilc1384
dissimule1485
counterfeit1490
dissemble?1507
guisea1510
wry1567
discountenance1574
conceal1598
belie1610
dislikena1616
obvolve1623
transvest1649
travesty1665
mask1847
camouflage1917
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > hiding, concealing from view > means of concealment > conceal by disguise [verb (transitive)] > in warfare
camouflage1917
dazzle-paint1917
dazzle1920
society > armed hostility > defence > defensive work(s) > shelter or screen > protect with screen or shelter [verb (transitive)] > camouflage
camouflage1917
1917 Washington Post 10 June (Mag. section) 3/2 The scene to be ‘camouflaged’ is sketched exactly as it appears in colors that match the true ones.
1919 Simcoe (Ont.) Reformer 20 Nov. 9/2 The four slim smokestacks, all camouflaged in jazz paint.
a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) II. 915 The body-pigments which are occasionally of life-saving value in camouflaging an animal or advertising a flower.
1998 G. J. Michaels Tip of Spear 82 We didn't have a better method of camouflaging the vehicles than the nets.
2001 Sun 27 Jan. (TV Mag.) 15/3 If we camouflaged ourselves, the animals didn't have a clue we were there.
2. transitive. figurative and in figurative contexts. To conceal or disguise; esp. to conceal the existence of (something undesirable). Cf. camouflage n. 1, disguise v. 5.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > dissimulation, pretence > semblance, outward show > present speciously [verb (transitive)] > conceal real state
dissimulec1374
feigna1393
shroud1412
abuse?a1439
counterfeit1490
cloak1509
dissemblea1535
maska1593
dissimulate1610
disguisea1616
pretext1634
mascherate1654
veil1700
camouflage1917
1917 Fort Wayne (Indiana) Jrnl.-Gaz. 7 Aug. 11/3 Tammany Hall has camouflaged itself, as it were. A political aviator surveying the field of New York City from a height cannot discern Tammany Hall at all.
1918 W. Owen Let. Apr. (1967) 545 Your portrait is certainly slightly camouflaged. I should tell the merchant to do less retouching, but you will never persuade him to let go a photograph purely au naturel.
1921 Spectator 23 Apr. 518/2 The house telephone.., its extremely ugly box ‘camouflaged’ with the pattern of the paper.
1949 Good Housek. (N.Y.) Nov. 135/1 Have you ever used an air freshener—a special product that camouflages unpleasant odors with clean countrylike scents?
1996 R. H. Bork Slouching towards Gomorrah ii. xii. 228 Any self-description that..camouflages his fears, weaknesses, and inadequacies.
2004 Asiana Autumn 231 Shine Junkie..helps control static fly-aways and camouflages dry split ends.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2014; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.1885
v.1917- as is likely
- as is meet
- as is reason
- as it happens
- as it is
- as it is likely
- as it is reason
- as it is such
- as it stands
- as it stood
- as it was
- as it were
- as jolly as a sandboy
- as large as life
- as large as life, and twice as natural
- as large as the life
- as lean as a rail
- as lean as a rake
- as lecherous as a goat
- as level
- as lief
- as lief as
- as light as a feather
- as light as air
- as light as ditch-water