camouflage

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [U] a way of hiding soldiers and military equipment, using paint, leaves or nets, so that they look like part of their surroundings: a camouflage jacket (= covered with green and brown marks and worn by soldiers) * troops dressed in camouflage 2 [U,sing.] the way in which an animal's colour or shape matches its surroundings 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. 3 [U,sing.] behaviour that is deliberately meant to hide the truth: Her angry words were camouflage for the way she felt. * Maya's cheerful manner just serves / acts as camouflage. verb [VN] ~ sth (with sth) to hide sb/sth by making them or it look like the things around, or like sth else: The soldiers camouflaged themselves with leaves and twigs. * Her size was camouflaged by the long loose dark dress she wore. \