camouflage

[ kam-uh-flahzh ]

/ ˈkæm əˌflɑʒ /

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See synonyms for: camouflage / camouflaged on Thesaurus.com

noun

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?

concealment by some means that alters or obscures the appearance: Drab plumage provides the bird with camouflage against predators.

a device or stratagem used for concealment: His loud laughter is really camouflage for his basic shyness.

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

(of fabric or clothing) made with or having a mottled design, as that used in military camouflage: a camouflage T-shirt.

verb (used with object), cam·ou·flaged, cam·ou·flag·ing.

to disguise by means of camouflage: to camouflage ships by painting them gray.

verb (used without object), cam·ou·flaged, cam·ou·flag·ing.

to use camouflage: The angel shark camouflages in the sand.

OTHER WORDS FOR camouflage

3 mask, blind, front, cover.

6 hide, conceal, mask; deceive, trick, dissimulate, dissemble.

See synonyms for camouflage on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM camouflage

cam·ou·flage·a·ble, adjectivecam·ou·flag·er, nouncam·ou·flag·ic, adjectiveun·cam·ou·flaged, adjective

well-cam·ou·flaged, adjective

Words nearby camouflage

camomile, camoodi, Camorra, Camorrista, camote, camouflage, camouflet, camp, Campagna, campaign, campaign button

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use camouflage in a sentence

Next, it cycles through other confusing behaviors — jetting, shooting ink and reverting to camouflage — until it has eluded the enemy.
Flamboyant cuttlefish save their bright patterns for flirting, fighting and fleeing|Helen Thompson|September 1, 2020|Science News
This camouflage comes from a layer of densely packed, pigmented structures just below the skin’s surface.
Superblack fish can disappear in the deep sea’s darkness|Erin Garcia de Jesus|August 10, 2020|Science News For Students
Not only is the robot wearing clothes, those clothes happen to be a camouflaged chemical protection suit and gas mask.
The Robot Revolution Was Televised: Our All-Time Favorite Boston Dynamics Robot Videos|Jason Dorrier|July 19, 2020|Singularity Hub
All modern, adult birds molt at least once a year to replace old, damaged feathers, or to exchange their bright summer colors for drab winter camouflage.
This dinosaur may have shed its feathers like modern songbirds|Carolyn Gramling|July 16, 2020|Science News

That camouflage is the result of a layer of densely packed pigment-containing structures just below the skin’s surface, researchers report online July 16 in Current Biology.
How some superblack fish disappear into the darkness of the deep sea|Erin Garcia de Jesus|July 16, 2020|Science News
Overnight people shed their fears, their protective camouflage and their restraints.
How Havel Inspired the Velvet Revolution|Michael Zantovsky|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then, from a pocket inside his camouflage top, he pulled a hidden stainless steel flask.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For a veteran seeking answers, that particular moment made Basetrack Live feel more like West Side Story in MARPAT camouflage.
War Is About More Than Heroes, Martyrs, and Patriots|Nathan Bradley Bethea|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A prime example of creepy camouflage is thinking of harassment as compliments.
Hey, Creeps, ‘Compliments’ Are Harassment, Too|Tauriq Moosa|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The bigot now employs camouflage in translating his prejudices into reality.
Why Bigotry Persists|Stephen Eric Bronner|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is not always the airman, in these days of camouflage, who brings word of ammunition trains or of new batteries.
The Amazing Interlude|Mary Roberts Rinehart
Artillery was everywhere, mostly in little pits over which the gunners were spreading green strips of camouflage.
The Onslaught from Rigel|Fletcher Pratt
As a rule the young girl knows what she is doing, but she is taught to camouflage it, to preserve her "innocence."
The Book of Life: Vol. I Mind and Body; Vol. II Love and Society|Upton Sinclair
Of course I know they're always calling each other by pet names; but that's mere camouflage for their matter-of-factness.
The Title|Arnold Bennett
She was wearing army camouflage pants and giant gothy boots with steel over-toes.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow

British Dictionary definitions for camouflage

camouflage

/ (ˈkæməˌflɑːʒ) /

noun

the exploitation of natural surroundings or artificial aids to conceal or disguise the presence of military units, equipment, etc

(modifier) (of fabric or clothing) having a design of irregular patches of dull colours (such as browns and greens), as used in military camouflage

the means by which animals escape the notice of predators, usually because of a resemblance to their surroundings: includes cryptic and apatetic coloration

a device or expedient designed to conceal or deceive

verb

(tr) to conceal by camouflage

Word Origin for camouflage

C20: from French, from camoufler, from Italian camuffare to disguise, deceive, of uncertain origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for camouflage

camouflage

[ kăm′ə-fläzh′ ]

Protective coloring or another feature that conceals an animal and enables it to blend into its surroundings. Compare warning coloration.

camouflage

OTHER WORDS FOR camouflage

Origin of camouflage

OTHER WORDS FROM camouflage

Words nearby camouflage

Words related to camouflage

How to use camouflage in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for camouflage

Word Origin for camouflage

Scientific definitions for camouflage