different between disguise vs semblance

English

Etymology

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).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d?s??a?z/, /d?z??a?z/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /d?s??a?z/, /d??ska?z/
• Hyphenation: dis?guise
• Rhymes: -a?z

Noun

disguise (countable and uncountable, plural disguises)

1. Material (such as clothing, makeup, a wig) used to alter one’s visual appearance in order to hide one's identity or assume another.

   A cape and moustache completed his disguise.

2. (figuratively) The appearance of something on the outside which masks what's beneath.
3. The act of disguising, notably as a ploy.

   Any disguise may expose soldiers to be deemed enemy spies.

4. (archaic) A change of behaviour resulting from intoxication.

Synonyms

• camouflage
• guise
• mask
• pretense

Translations

Verb

disguise (third-person singular simple present disguises, present participle disguising, simple past and past participle disguised)

1. (transitive) To change the appearance of (a person or thing) so as to hide, or to assume an identity.

   Spies often disguise themselves.
2. (transitive) To avoid giving away or revealing (something secret); to hide by a false appearance.

   He disguised his true intentions.

3. (archaic) To affect or change by liquor; to intoxicate.

   • I have just left the right worshipful, and his myrmidons, about a sneaker or five gallons; the whole magistracy was pretty well disguised before I gave them the slip.

Synonyms

• camouflage
• cloak
• mask
• hide

Derived terms

• disguisedly
• disguisement
• disguiser

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• semblaunce

Etymology

From Middle English semblaunce, from Old French semblance, from semblant, present participle of sembler.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?s?m.bl?ns/

Noun

semblance (countable and uncountable, plural semblances)

1. likeness, similarity; the quality of being similar.
2. the way something looks; appearance; form

Synonyms

• (likeness): veneer

Related terms

Translations

References

Further reading

• semblance in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• semblance in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.