masquerade

mas·quer·ade

Use masquerade in a sentence

noun

The definition of a masquerade is a fancy costume party where the guests wear masks, or to live or act in a false way.
1. An example of a masquerade is the ball described in Edgar Allen Poe's short story The Masque of the Red Death.
2. An example of a masquerade is hiding the fact that you have two pets from your landlord.

verb

Masquerade is defined as to wear a disguise or pretend to be someone else.
1. An example of to masquerade is wearing a costume.
2. An example of to masquerade is pretending to be a guest at a wedding you're crashing.

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"masquerade." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Masquerade>.

APA Style

masquerade. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22nd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Masquerade

masquerade

a ball or party at which masks and fancy costumes or disguises are worn
a costume for such a ball or party
1. a disguise, false show, or pretense
2. a living or acting under false pretenses

Origin of masquerade

altered (by associated, association with masque) from French mascarade from Italian mascarata, dialect, dialectal variant, variety of mascherata ( from maschera): see mask

intransitive verb

-·ad′ed, -·ad′ing

to take part in a masquerade
to live or act under false pretenses

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Link to this page

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MLA Style

"masquerade." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Masquerade>.

APA Style

masquerade. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22nd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Masquerade

masquerade

noun

a. A costume party at which masks are worn; a masked ball. Also called masque .
b. A costume for such a party or ball.
a. A disguise or false outward show; a pretense: a masquerade of humility.
b. An involved scheme; a charade.

intransitive verb

mas·quer·ad·ed, mas·quer·ad·ing, mas·quer·ades

To wear a mask or disguise, as at a masquerade: She masqueraded as a shepherd.
To go about as if in disguise; have or put on a deceptive appearance: The stowaway masqueraded as a crew member.

Origin of masquerade

French mascarade from Italian mascarata variant of mascherata from Old Italian maschera mask ; see mask .

Related Forms:

mas′quer·ad′er
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"masquerade." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Masquerade>.

APA Style

masquerade. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22nd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Masquerade

Noun

(plural masquerades)

A party or assembly of people wearing masks, and amusing themselves with dancing, conversation, or other diversions.
In courtly balls and midnight masquerades - Alexander Pope
Acting or living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show; pretentious show; disguise.
I was invited to the masquerade at their home.
That masquerade of misrepresentation which invariably accompanied the political eloquence of Rome - Thomas de Quincey
A Spanish diversion on horseback.

Verb

(third-person singular simple present masquerades, present participle masquerading, simple past and past participle masqueraded)

(intransitive) To assemble in masks; to take part in a masquerade.
I'm going to masquerade as the wikipede. What are you going to dress up as?
(intransitive) To frolic or disport in disguise; to make a pretentious show of being what one is not.
He masqueraded as my friend until the truth finally came out.
A freak took an ass in the head, and he goes into the woods, masquerading up and down in a lion's skin - Roger L'Estrange
To conceal with masks; to disguise.
To masquerade vice - Killingbeck

Origin

From French mascarade (Spanish mascarada), from Italian mascarata (mascherata). See “mask".

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.