camouflage

1 of 3

noun

cam·​ou·​flage ˈka-mə-ˌfläzh How to pronounce camouflage (audio)
-ˌfläj
1
: the disguising especially of military equipment or installations with paint, nets, or foliage
also : the disguise so applied
2
a
: concealment by means of disguise
The rabbit's white fur acts as camouflage in the snow.
b
: behavior or artifice designed to deceive or hide
hiding behind a camouflage of righteous indignation
camouflagic adjective

camouflage

2 of 3

verb

camouflaged; camouflaging

transitive verb

: to conceal or disguise by camouflage
The makeup camouflages blemishes.

intransitive verb

: to practice camouflage
camouflageable adjective

camouflage

3 of 3

adjective

: made in colors or patterns typical of camouflage
a camouflage jacket

Examples of camouflage in a Sentence

Noun The army tanks were painted green and brown for camouflage. The rabbit's white fur acts as a camouflage in the snow. Rabbits use their white fur as camouflage in the snow. Her so-called charity work was a camouflage for her own self-interest. His tough attitude served as camouflage. Verb It was impossible to camouflage the facts. camouflaged the military camp as a native village
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The division’s command post, essentially a folding table with four Humvees parked around it, was draped in camouflage netting that helps dampen electronic and thermal signatures. Alex Horton, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024 Here came a group of 12 men in camouflage with carpet samples tied to the soles of their shoes to hide their tracks in the dirt so Border Patrol agents couldn’t follow their path. Eli Saslow Erin Schaff, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 With their greenish sides and chain-link-like markings, pike are masters of camouflage and experts at laying motionless in the weeds. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 The eggs became overgrown with microscopic algae within weeks, providing camouflage that the researchers theorized is what had made the process so rare to observe. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 But then members of Guatemala’s military, clad in camouflage and berets, spotted us. Simon Romero Alejandro Cegarra, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024 The hoverboards were sold in camouflage and galaxy colors. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Jan. 2024 The glassy shield can reflect different colors of light—from deep blue to yellow green—based on the animal’s camouflage needs. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2023 Dropping on February 10, the sneakers eschew the typical white colorway in favor of Bape’s signature camouflage motif. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2024
Verb
This Root Touch-Up Kit camouflages up to one inch of gray hairs in about an hour. Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 Put it toward a recipe where its looks are cleverly camouflaged. Antara Sinha, Bon Appétit, 22 Feb. 2024 Eggs attached to rocky bottom become camouflaged in algae Moran, whose lab has studied polar gigantism for more than a decade, led a field research expedition in October 2021 to Antarctica with Ph.D. students Aaron Toh and Graham Lobert to study the continent's sea spider population. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 Michael’s seemingly desirable actions could actually be a sign of a deeper issue, camouflaged as a caring concern. Mark Travers, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 The move camouflaged McKay’s active Slack account for months, letting his account evade deletion. Emma Roth, The Verge, 23 Feb. 2024 Paris Jackson was a blank canvas on the red carpet after her makeup artists spent two hours camouflaging her 80 tattoos, shown on the right. Leah Dolan, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024 Overlapping, roasted slices of lemon can camouflage a homely turkey. Bonnie S. Benwick, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 Leia, on the other hand, is camouflaged in her Boushh, ready to storm the villain's palace, too. Melissa Epifano, EW.com, 25 Sep. 2023
Adjective
The first 1,500 fans to get to the park on Opening Day will win a camouflage hat with the 15-year logo. Alexandra Hardle, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 Jackson was last seen wearing an olive green or camouflage North Face jacket, a white polo shirt, navy blue pants and red shoes, according to police. Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2024 One of the suspects has been described as a male with a black and gray beard, wearing a camouflage hat and black sweatshirt. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 17 Jan. 2024 These two feel-good ideas are camouflage for something much more radical and sinister: a rewrite of the U.S. Constitution. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2024 In Sonoyta, across the border from Arizona, Mino’s camouflage pants aroused the suspicions of a unit of Mexican soldiers. Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2024 The concertina wire atop some portions of the wall is littered with shreds of camouflage clothing left behind by migrants who became tangled on their way down. Keegan Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2023 Sean also shared some snaps from the family's quality time together, including a photo of Samuel building a Lego house and a sweet selfie of himself and his sons all dressed in camouflage jackets. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 25 Nov. 2023 The four-time NBA championship winner entered Ball Area in a camouflage jacket paired with black pants and derby sneakers. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'camouflage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from camoufler to disguise

Verb

derivative of camouflage entry 1

Adjective

from attributive use of camouflage entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

1917, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Adjective

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of camouflage was in 1885

Dictionary Entries Near camouflage

Cite this Entry

“Camouflage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/camouflage. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

camouflage

1 of 2 noun
cam·​ou·​flage ˈkam-ə-ˌfläzh How to pronounce camouflage (audio)
-ˌfläj
1
: the hiding or disguising of something by covering it up or changing the way it looks
2
: the material (as paint or leaves and branches) used for camouflage

camouflage

2 of 2 verb
camouflaged; camouflaging
: to hide or disguise by camouflage

More from Merriam-Webster on camouflage

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