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masquerade

noun
/ˌmæskəˈɹeɪd/UK/ˌmæskəˈɹeɪd/CA/ˌmæskəˈɹæɪd/

Etymology

The noun is borrowed from Middle French mascarade, masquarade, masquerade (modern French mascarade (“masquerade, masque; farce”)), and its etymon Italian mascherata (“masquerade”), from maschera (“mask”) + -ata. Maschera is derived from Medieval Latin masca (“mask”): see further there. The English word is cognate with Late Latin masquarata, Portuguese mascarada, Spanish mascarada. The verb is derived from the noun.

  1. derived from masca — “mask”
  2. derived from mascherata — “masquerade”
  3. borrowed from mascarade

Definitions

  1. An assembly or party of people wearing (usually elaborate or fanciful) masks and…

    An assembly or party of people wearing (usually elaborate or fanciful) masks and costumes, and amusing themselves with dancing, conversation, or other diversions.

    • I was invited to the masquerade party at their home.

  2. The act of wearing a mask or dressing up in a costume for, or as if for, a masquerade…

    The act of wearing a mask or dressing up in a costume for, or as if for, a masquerade ball.

  3. An act of living under false pretenses

    An act of living under false pretenses; a concealment of something by a false or unreal show; a disguise, a pretence; also, a pretentious display.

  4. ›+ 7 more definitions

    1. An assembly of varied, often fanciful, things.

    2. A cosplay event at which costumed attendees perform skits.

    3. A dramatic performance by actors in masks

      A dramatic performance by actors in masks; a mask or masque.

    4. A Spanish entertainment or military exercise in which squadrons of horses charge at each…

      A Spanish entertainment or military exercise in which squadrons of horses charge at each other, the riders fighting with bucklers and canes.

    5. To take part in a masquerade

      To take part in a masquerade; to assemble in masks and costumes; (loosely) to wear a disguise.

      • I’m going to masquerade as an old-fashioned pilot. What are you going to dress up as?
      • There was a Freak took an Aſs in the Head, to Scoure abroad on the Ramble; and away he goes into the Woods, Maſquerading up and down in a Lyon's Skin.

    6. To pass oneself off as a different person or a person with qualities that one does not…

      To pass oneself off as a different person or a person with qualities that one does not possess; also, to make a pretentious show of being what one is not.

      • He masqueraded as my friend until the truth finally came out.

    7. To conceal (someone) with, or as if with, a mask

      To conceal (someone) with, or as if with, a mask; to disguise.

The neighborhood

Derived

masqueradish, masquerader, masqueradingly, masquerading, unmasqueraded

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at masquerade. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01masquerade02masks03mask04disguises05disguise06disguising07masque

A definitional loop anchored at masquerade. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

7 hops · closes at masquerade

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA