Other forms: disguised, disguises, disguising
A disguise is a change of appearance meant to hide who you are. In disguise, a clever disguise, see through the disguise.
The best ones change how somebody moves and behaves rather than what they wear, because people recognise gait and manner faster than faces. A blessing in disguise is something bad that turns out well. Note that the French means to change the guise, from a Germanic word for manner or appearance.
1noundisguiseA change of appearance meant to hide who you are.
“He wore a false beard and glasses as a disguise.”
2verborderTo change appearance in order to hide.
“The thief disguised himself as a delivery man to get into the building.”
disguise is a concealment.
Old French desguiser is des- plus guise, appearance or manner, from a Germanic word. Guise and wise, meaning manner, are relatives.
Latin
dis-
Old French
desguiser
Middle English
disgisen
English, today
disguise
Built from
From Middle English disgisen, disguisen, borrowed from Old French desguiser (modern French déguiser), itself derived from des- (“dis-”) (from Latin dis-) + guise (“guise”) (from a Germanic source).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA