a. To modify the manner or appearance of (a person, for example) in order to prevent recognition: disguised himself as a guard and escaped.
b. To make indistinct or difficult to perceive: disguised the bad taste of the medicine with lemon syrup.
2. To conceal or obscure by dissemblance or false show; misrepresent: disguise one's true intentions.
n.
1. Clothes or accessories worn to conceal one's true identity.
2.
a. Appearance that misrepresents the true character of something: a blessing in disguise.
b. A pretense or misrepresentation: His repeated references to his dangerous hobbies were only a disguise to cover up his insecurity.
[Middle English disguisen, from Old French desguiser : des-, dis- + guise, manner; see guise.]
dis·guis′ed·ly(-gī′zĭd-lē) adv.
dis·guise′ment n.
dis·guis′er n.
Synonyms: disguise, camouflage, cloak, dissemble, dissimulate, mask These verbs mean to change or modify so as to conceal the true identity or character of: disguised her interest with nonchalance; trying to camouflage their impatience; cloaked his anxiety with a smile; dissembling ill will with false solicitude; couldn't dissimulate his vanity; ambition that is masked as altruism.
disguise - an outward semblance that misrepresents the true nature of something; "the theatrical notion of disguise is always associated with catastrophe in his stories"
semblance, gloss, color, colour - an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading; "he hoped his claims would have a semblance of authenticity"; "he tried to give his falsehood the gloss of moral sanction"; "the situation soon took on a different color"
2.
disguise - any attire that modifies the appearance in order to conceal the wearer's identity
attire, garb, dress - clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion; "formal attire"; "battle dress"
camouflage - disguise by camouflaging; exploit the natural surroundings to disguise something; "The troops camouflaged themselves before they went into enemy territory"
disguise something or someone as something or someonedress up as, get up as, camouflage as, fit out asHe sold cars, stole them back, disguised them as new ones, then sold them again.
disguise yourself as something or someonedress up as, masquerade asShe disguised herself as a man so that she could fight.
He arrived at the haunted house in disguise on the Wednesday before the advent of the twins--after writing his Aunt Pratt that he would not arrive until two days after--and laying in hiding there with his mother until toward daylight Friday morning, when he went to his uncle's house and entered by the back way with his own key, and slipped up to his room where he could have the use of the mirror and toilet articles.
Powerless to recover their lost treasure by open force, the three guardian priests followed and watched it in disguise. The generations succeeded each other; the warrior who had committed the sacrilege perished miserably; the Moonstone passed
She did not think that Julia would be able to penetrate his disguise, as he had declared his intentions so to conceal himself, by paint and artifice, as to be able to escape detection.
For this purpose he assumed the character of a man and visited in this disguise a Sculptor's studio having looked at various statues, he demanded the price of two figures of Jupiter and Juno.
Unable to detect a weak point in this scheme of mutual advantage, the financier gave the promoter in disguise an order for the money, and wrote a note to his wife directing her to count out the girl.
Jones sat down by her, and still persisted in his entreaties; at last the lady coldly answered, "I imagined Mr Jones had been a more discerning lover, than to suffer any disguise to conceal his mistress from him." "Is she here, then, madam?" replied Jones, with some vehemence.
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