camouflage

noun

/ˈkæməflɑːʒ/

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[uncountable] a way of hiding soldiers and military equipment, using paint, leaves or nets, so that they look like part of what is around or near them
- a camouflage jacket (= covered with green and brown marks and worn by soldiers)
- troops dressed in camouflage
- He pulled the camouflage net over the entrance to the tent.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- effective
- excellent
- good
- …
verb + camouflage
- act as
- provide
- wear
- …
camouflage + noun
- pattern
- gear
- uniform
- …
See full entry
[uncountable, singular] the way in which an animal’s colour or shape matches what is around or near it and makes it difficult to see
- The whiteness of polar bears and arctic foxes provides camouflage.
- The leopard’s spots act as (a) camouflage.
- Predators make as much use of camouflage as their prey do.
Topics Animalsc1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- effective
- excellent
- good
- …
verb + camouflage
- act as
- provide
- wear
- …
camouflage + noun
- pattern
- gear
- uniform
- …
See full entry
[uncountable, singular] behaviour that is deliberately meant to hide the truth
- Her angry words were camouflage for the way she felt.

Word OriginFirst World War: from French, from camoufler ‘to disguise’ (originally thieves' slang), from Italian camuffare ‘disguise, deceive’, perhaps by association with French camouflet ‘whiff of smoke in the face’.

camouflage

verb

/ˈkæməflɑːʒ/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they camouflage	/ˈkæməflɑːʒ/ /ˈkæməflɑːʒ/
he / she / it camouflages	/ˈkæməflɑːʒɪz/ /ˈkæməflɑːʒɪz/
past simple camouflaged	/ˈkæməflɑːʒd/ /ˈkæməflɑːʒd/
past participle camouflaged	/ˈkæməflɑːʒd/ /ˈkæməflɑːʒd/
-ing form camouflaging	/ˈkæməflɑːʒɪŋ/ /ˈkæməflɑːʒɪŋ/

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camouflage something/yourself (with something) to hide somebody/something/yourself by making them/it/yourself look like the things around, or like something else
- The soldiers camouflaged themselves with leaves.
- Her size was camouflaged by the long loose dress she wore.
- The vehicles were all well camouflaged.
Synonyms hide
hide
- conceal
- cover
- disguise
- mask
- camouflage
These words all mean to put or keep somebody/something in a place where they/it cannot be seen or found, or to keep the truth or your feelings secret.
- hide to put or keep somebody/something in a place where they/it cannot be seen or found; to keep something secret, especially your feelings:
  He hid the letter in a drawer.
  She managed to hide her disappointment.
- conceal (formal) to hide somebody/something; to keep something secret:
  The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster.
  Tim could barely conceal his disappointment.
  When it is being used to talk about emotions, conceal is often used in negative statements.
- cover to place something over or in front of something in order to hide it:
  She covered her face with her hands.
- disguise to hide or change the nature of something, so that it cannot be recognized:
  He tried to disguise his accent.
- mask to hide a feeling, smell, fact, etc. so that it cannot be easily seen or noticed:
  She masked her anger with a smile.
- camouflage to hide somebody/something by making them/it look like the things around, or like something else:
  The soldiers camouflaged themselves with leaves and twigs.
Patterns
- to hide/conceal/disguise/mask something behind something
- to hide/conceal something under something
- to hide/conceal something from somebody
- to hide/conceal/disguise/mask the truth/the fact that…
- to hide/conceal/disguise/mask your feelings
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
preposition
- with
phrases
- be carefully camouflaged
- be heavily camouflaged
- be well camouflaged
- …
See full entry
Word OriginFirst World War: from French, from camoufler ‘to disguise’ (originally thieves' slang), from Italian camuffare ‘disguise, deceive’, perhaps by association with French camouflet ‘whiff of smoke in the face’.