释义 |
mas·quer·ade I. \|maskə|rād, -aask-, -aisk-\ noun (-s) Etymology: Middle French mascarade, masquerade social gathering of persons wearing masks, from Old Italian dialect mascarada, from Old Italian mascara, maschera mask + Old Italian dialect -ada -ade 1. : an action, appearance, bearing, or mode of life that is mere outward show concealing the true character or situation : a pretense of being something that one is not : camouflage, disguise < her maturity was a childish, clever masquerade — Philip O'Connor > < traveling about in the masquerade of a bon vivant — Virginia Cowles > < discovers under a new masquerade the ancient evil — V.L.Parrington > < became aware of an element of masquerade in the appearance of this person — Elinor Wylie > 2. a. : a social gathering of persons wearing masks, often dressed in rich fantastic costumes especially to impersonate characters from history or legend, and amusing themselves with dancing, conversation, or other diversions b. : a costume for wear at such a gathering II. intransitive verb (-ed/-ing/-s) 1. a. : to disguise oneself or go about disguised so as to appear to be something that one is not < wasn't the first time he'd masqueraded as a girl — Valentine Williams > < looked like a young man masquerading in a white wig — R.H.Davis > b. : to take part in a masquerade 2. : to pass oneself off or assume the appearance of something that one is not : pose < nonentities have too often masqueraded as philosophers — Richard Mayne > < wrong for editorial arguments to masquerade as news reports — F.L.Mott > < exploitation masquerading as free enterprise — Herbert Agar > |