camisado

American  

[kam-uh-sey-doh, -sah-] / ˌkæm əˈseɪ doʊ, -ˈsɑ- /

Also camisade

noun

Archaic.

• camisados
  plural

1. a military attack made at night.

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camisado British  

/ ˌkæmɪˈseɪd, ˌkæmɪˈsɑːdəʊ /

noun

1. (formerly) an attack made under cover of darkness

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• camisados
  plural

Etymology

Origin of camisado

1540–50; < Spanish camisada (now obsolete), equivalent to camis ( a ) shirt ( see chemise) + -ada -ade ¹; so called because participants in such attacks would wear shirts over their armor to aid in recognition

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

camisado

"Here is a new sort of camisado," quoth Cary.

From Westward Ho!, or, the voyages and adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight, of Burrough, in the county of Devon, in the reign of her most glorious majesty Queen Elizabeth by Charles Kingsley

A camisado, or shirt-tumult, every where: stormbell set a-ringing; village-drum beating furious generale, as here at Clermont, under illumination; distracted Patriots pleading and menacing!

From The French Revolution by Thomas Carlyle

And hence arose the term camisado for a night-attack, in which the assailants recognised each other in the dark by their white shirt-sleeves, sometimes further distinguished by a tight cincture of broad black riband.

From The Uncollected Writings of Thomas de Quincey—Vol. 1 With a Preface and Annotations by James Hogg by James Hogg

Yet, considering that trained men and a numerous horse have great advantage by daylight, I should be in favour of a camisado or night onfall.'

From Micah Clarke His Statement as made to his three grandchildren Joseph, Gervas and Reuben During the Hard Winter of 1734 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The last literal camisado, that I remember, was a nautical one—a cutting-out enterprise somewhere about 1807-8.

From The Uncollected Writings of Thomas de Quincey—Vol. 1 With a Preface and Annotations by James Hogg by James Hogg