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
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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
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 1
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Life Science: Ecosystems
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Ecology - Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems - Introductory
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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:
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
Apple employed both software and hardware techniques to camouflage the crease.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
She believes the coloring helps them camouflage among she-oak flowers, with which they are closely associated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
This coating can act as a form of camouflage, making it harder for immune cells to recognize and destroy them.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
Women’s faces were flaked with mud and ash, camouflage from the Russians they’d applied while trekking through the woods.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
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
They’re small, kidney-shaped, and come in color-coordinated shades, which camouflages them to near-invisibility.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2024
One nocturnal bird called a Tawny Frogmouth woke up from where it usually camouflages as a rotting tree stump.
From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2024
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
He entered a camouflaged, net-covered hut, where he turned four keys on switch boxes to trigger Lima’s barrage of electronic noise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
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
There was some kind of truth hidden in there, Reynie thought, but it was camouflaged with nonsense.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
White walls would cede to green foliage, effectively camouflaging the facade—but also playing into the hands of critics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
"So for them to be camouflaging as something else… it's very, very uncommon."
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2025
“I think I’m a fairly earnest person, and that’s gotten me in trouble,” Strong said, “but I’m not interested in camouflaging or disguising myself. Life is too short.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 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
He liked the camouflaging pattern of the thick fabric and sometimes tipped the thing on its side and shot rubber- tipped arrows at me and Lelia from behind its cover.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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