SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

in disguise

Definition of in disguise

1 : wearing a disguise I've heard that she sometimes travels around the country in disguise.
2 : made to look like something else : presented as another thing He says that the new fee is really just a tax increase in disguise.

Word by Word Definitions

disguiseplay

: to change the customary dress (see ²dress 1) or appearance of
: to furnish with a false appearance or an assumed (see assume 3) identity
: disfigure

: apparel assumed to conceal one's identity or counterfeit another's
: the act of disguising
: form misrepresenting the true nature of something

See the full definition of disguise

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up in disguise? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

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WORD OF THE DAY

depredate

play

to plunder or ravage

Words at Play

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We're Down With You Being—or Your Being?—a Square

It's about (you? your?) having your say.

Devilish Words

Don't blame a word use error on the devil.

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How 'Wonderful' Lost Its Sense of Wonder

A case of semantic bleaching

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Don't Let Reading This Be Another 'Coulda' 'Shoulda' 'Woulda'

PSA: They're three separate words.

Ask the Editors

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Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

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Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

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Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

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Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

Which word entered the English language first?

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Name More Food!

Test your knowledge of food vocabulary!

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True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

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Syn City

Build a city of skyscrapers—one synonym at a time.

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