camouflage

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A disguise or covering up.
2. (countable, uncountable) The act of disguising.
3. (countable, uncountable) The use of natural or artificial material on personnel, objects, or tactical positions with the aim of confusing, misleading, or evading the enemy.
4. (countable, uncountable) A pattern on clothing consisting of irregularly shaped patches that are either greenish/brownish, brownish/whitish, or bluish/whitish, as used by ground combat forces.
5. (countable, uncountable) The resemblance of an organism to its surroundings for avoiding detection.
6. (countable, uncountable) Clothes made from camouflage fabric, for concealment in combat or hunting.

Verb

To hide or disguise something by covering it up or changing its appearance.

Synonyms

disguise

mask

😷

cover

conceal

shroud

masking

hide

camo

cover up

veil

cloak

impersonate

lurk

dissemble

cover-up

masquerade

obscure

pretense

cloud over

quise

disquise

keep secret

deceptive means

disguis

be talent

dodge

dissimulation

Translations

camouflage

camuflagem

Tarnung

camuflaje

καμουφλάζ

camoufler

camuflatge

tarnen

camuffamento

camouflage

mimetizzare

déguisement

camoufleren

kamuflaj

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkæ.məˌflɑːʒ/

Etymology

Cognate with English: muffle

Cognate with Old High German: molawēn

Cognate with Middle High German: molwic

In summary

Unadapted borrowing from French camouflage, from camoufler (“to veil, disguise”), alteration (due to camouflet (“smoke blown in one's face”)) of Italian camuffare (“to muffle the head”), from ca- (from Italian capo (“head”)) + muffare (“to muffle”), from Medieval Latin muffula, muffla (“muff”). This Medieval Latin, from which there is also English muffle, is either derived from a Frankish *molfell (“soft garment made of hide”) from *mol (“softened, forworn”) (akin to Old High German molawēn (“to soften”), Middle High German molwic (“soft”)) + *fell (“hide, skin”), from Proto-Germanic *fellą (“skin, film, fleece”), or, an alternate etymology traces it to a Frankish *muffël (“a muff, wrap, envelope”) composed of *mauwa (“sleeve, wrap”) from Proto-Germanic *mawwō (“sleeve”) + *fell (“skin, hide”) from Proto-Germanic *fellą (“skin, film, fleece”).