Camouflage

/ˈkæməflɑːʒ/

nounBeginner📊CommonAction
2 meanings1 question

Definitions

2 meanings
1

The practice of concealing or disguising military personnel, equipment, and installations by painting or covering them in colors and patterns that blend with their surroundings.

/ˈkæməflɑːʒ/

nounneutralBeginner
Action

The disguising of military equipment, etc., by painting or covering it so that it blends in with its surroundings.

The soldiers used camouflage to hide from the enemy.

💡 Simply: Hiding something by making it look like its surroundings.

More Examples

2

The butterfly's wings provided excellent camouflage.

How It's Used

Military

"The army used camouflage netting to hide their tanks."

Nature

"The chameleon's camouflage helped it blend in with the leaves."

2

To hide or disguise something by making it blend in with its surroundings.

/ˈkæməflɑːʒ/

verbneutralBeginner
Action

To disguise or conceal something by painting or covering it to blend with its surroundings.

They camouflaged the tank with mud and branches.

💡 Simply: To hide something by making it look like its surroundings.

More Examples

2

The bird camouflaged its nest among the leaves.

How It's Used

Art

"The artist cleverly camouflaged the sculpture in the landscape."

Tip:Think of a chameleon camouflaging itself.

From French *camouflage*, from *camoufler* "to disguise", perhaps of obscure origin, possibly related to a dialect word meaning "to mask, hide". It entered English during World War I.

The word gained widespread use during World War I due to its importance in military strategy.

Memory tip

Imagine a chameleon changing colors to match its environment.

Word Origin

LanguageFrench
Original meaning

"to disguise"

camouflage nettingcamouflage paintcamouflage uniform

Common misspellings

camoflagecamoflaugecamouflague

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written