camouflage
Americannoun
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camouflages
plural
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the act, means, or result of obscuring things to deceive an enemy, as by painting or screening objects so that they are lost to view in the background, or by making up objects that from a distance have the appearance of fortifications, guns, roads, etc..
Was camouflage used extensively on fighter aircraft during World War I?
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concealment by some means that alters or obscures the appearance.
Drab plumage provides the bird with camouflage against predators.
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a device or stratagem used for concealment.
His loud laughter is really camouflage for his basic shyness.
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clothing made of fabric with a mottled design, usually in shades of green and brown, as that used in military camouflage.
The street vendors are all selling camouflage this week: pants, jackets, T-shirts, even underwear!
adjective
verb (used with object)
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camouflages,
present (3rd person singular)
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camouflaged,
past participle, past
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camouflaging
present participle
verb (used without object)
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camouflages,
present (3rd person singular)
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camouflaged,
past participle, past
-
camouflaging
present participle
noun
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the exploitation of natural surroundings or artificial aids to conceal or disguise the presence of military units, equipment, etc
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(modifier) (of fabric or clothing) having a design of irregular patches of dull colours (such as browns and greens), as used in military camouflage
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the means by which animals escape the notice of predators, usually because of a resemblance to their surroundings: includes cryptic and apatetic coloration
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a device or expedient designed to conceal or deceive
verb
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Protective coloring or another feature that conceals an animal and enables it to blend into its surroundings.
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Compare warning coloration
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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camouflagernoun
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camouflageableadjective
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camouflagicadjective
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uncamouflagedadjective
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well-camouflagedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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camouflagesimple
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camouflagessimple
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have camouflagedperfect
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has camouflagedperfect
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am camouflagingprogressive
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are camouflagingprogressive
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is camouflagingprogressive
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have been camouflagingperfect progressive
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has been camouflagingperfect progressive
Past
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camouflagedsimple
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had camouflagedperfect
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was camouflagingprogressive
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were camouflagingprogressive
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had been camouflagingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of camouflage
First recorded in 1915–20; from French, equivalent to camoufl(er) “to disguise” (probably a verbal derivative of camouflet ) + -age noun suffix; see camouflet, -age
Explanation
To camouflage is to disguise, and a camouflage is that which disguises — like the leaf-colored and patterned uniforms worn by soldiers who want to blend in with their natural surroundings. Camouflage evolved from the French camoufler, which was slang for “to disguise.” Camoufler itself most likely comes from camouflet, meaning “puff of smoke” — a puff of smoke that makes it hard to see things. Camouflaged clothing certainly hides hunters from their prey, but the word can also be used in a more figurative sense, as in camouflaging criticism by veiling it as a backhanded compliment.
Vocabulary lists containing camouflage
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Life Science: Ecosystems
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"There was heavy fighting," said Tawfiq Al Haboun, a bearded commander in camouflage uniform.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Wang sports a mullet reminiscent of the podcaster Theo Von—whose show he has appeared on—and wore a camouflage thrift-store T-shirt and Crocs for a recent onstage appearance at the company’s annual developer conference.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Then Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino, who had been leading the immigration operations in California, was among those outside the event, joined by agents in helmets, camouflage, masks and holding guns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
It was the Ruger .22-caliber rifle with a camouflage scope that Roebuck kept in the workshop behind his house.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Suddenly, that oh-so-awesome camouflage skin has turned bright red and pimply all over.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
When Jack, patrolling alone in a heavy rain, sees Robert’s speeding van careen off a mountain road, he takes possession of the loot, camouflages the crash site and celebrates having become an instant millionaire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
I enter into my old neighborhood with a fluttering in my periphery where new construction or paint camouflages lines and angles and patches of scenery until the unmistakability of my childhood street reveals itself.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2025
One nocturnal bird called a Tawny Frogmouth woke up from where it usually camouflages as a rotting tree stump.
From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2024
A swath of curtains in a blue-and-white graphic print neatly camouflages the storage shelves along one wall.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 2, 2022
The planet noises are so loud I can’t hear, so I slide closer, hoping my gray jumpsuit camouflages me enough that they won’t pay any attention to me.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Highly venomous and responsible for more fatal snake bites in Central America than any other species, the fer-de-lance is well camouflaged and can blend into plantation habitats, sometimes going unnoticed by workers.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
In the end, all that’s left is another thinly written woman in horror, camouflaged by tongue-in-cheek jokes and flimsy progressive ideas.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026
Today, camouflaged National Guard troops patrol Uruapan with rifles nestled, or cruise the streets in pickup trucks mounted with machine guns.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
In 1993 it denied inspectors access to camouflaged nuclear sites, leaving the world to guess whether it had separated plutonium for bombs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
The foil, similar to that used by NASA, trapped the heat inside the structure while preventing the camouflaged outside surface from overheating.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Despite the solemn themes of his songs, Kahan avoids self-seriousness by regularly poking fun at his own lyrics, partially camouflaging anguished music behind comedic patter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
Harris said another developer in the area started camouflaging his construction sites: hiding Porta Potties, removing construction fences and having workers park far away and carpool to the site so as not to attract attention.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2025
What looks like a small, grey building, with newly planted vegetation camouflaging its roof turns out to be the entrance to an underground operating theatre.
From BBC ● May 23, 2024
The flightless species comes in three camouflaging varieties, or morphs, that are inherited from one generation to the next.
From Science Magazine ● May 23, 2024
While the rabbit cooks, I grind up part of a charred branch and set about camouflaging my orange pack.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
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