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Origin and history of guise

guise(n.)

late 13c., "style or fashion of attire," from Old French guise "manner, fashion, way," from Frankish *wisa or some similar Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *wison "appearance, form, manner," from *wissaz (source also of Old High German wisa "manner, wise"), from PIE root *weid- "to see." Sense of "assumed appearance" is from 1660s, from earlier meaning "mask, disguise" (c. 1500).

also from late 13c.

Entries linking to guise

disguise(v.)

c. 1300, "conceal the personal identity of by changes of guise or usual appearance, with intent to deceive," from Old French desguiser "disguise, change one's appearance" (11c., Modern French déguiser), from des- "away, off" (see dis-) + guise "style, appearance," which is from Germanic (see guise).

From mid-14c. as "conceal or cover up the original character of by a counterfeit form or appearance." Originally primarily "to put out of one's usual manner" (of dress, etc.), "change one's appearance;" a sense preserved in phrase disguised with liquor (1560s) "being changed in behavior by intoxication."

It is most absurdly said, in popular language, of any man, that he is disguised in liquor; for, on the contrary, most men are disguised by sobriety. [Thomas De Quincey, "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater," 1856]

Related: Disguised; disguising.

geezer(n.)

derisive word for an old man, 1885, according to OED a variant of obsolete Cockney guiser "mummer, one wearing a mask or costume as part of a performance" (late 15c.; see guise). If so, the original notion was "one who went about in disguise," hence "odd man," hence "old man" (it still commonly is qualified by old).

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pretense
also pretence, early 15c., "the putting forth of a claim; false or hypocritical profession, feigning, disguise, that under cover of which an actual design or meaning is concealed," also "a stated ground or reason, an assertion of a legal right," from Anglo-French pretensse (Moder
pretext
"that which is assumed as a cloak or means of concealment," 1510s, from French prétexte, from Latin praetextum "a pretext, outward display," noun use of neuter past participle of praetexere "to disguise, cover," literally "weave in front" (for sense, compare pull the wool over (s
allegory
"figurative treatment of an unmentioned subject under the guise of another similar to it in some way," late 14c., allegorie...
proverb
popular saying which briefly and forcibly expresses some practical precept; an adage; a wise saw: often set forth in the guise...
dissemble
To disguise is to put under a false guise, to keep a thing from being recognized by giving it a false appearance: as I cannot...
boondoggle
"wasteful expenditure," especially by the government under guise of public good, April 1935, American English; earlier it...
Beguine
them, but they soon degenerated (compare Old French beguin "(male) Beguin," also "hypocrite") and wandered begging in the guise...
semblance
c. 1300, semblaunce, "fact of appearing to view," from Old French semblance "likeness, appearance," from semblant, present participle of sembler "to seem, appear," from Latin simulare "to resemble, imitate," from similis "like, resembling, of the same kind" (see similar). The mea
gloss
"glistening smoothness, luster," 1530s, probably from Scandinavian (compare Icelandic glossi "a spark, a flame," related to glossa "to flame"), or obsolete Dutch gloos "a glowing," from Middle High German glos; probably ultimately from the same source as English glow (v.). Superf
color
early 13c., "skin color, complexion," from Anglo-French culur, coulour, Old French color "color, complexion, appearance" (Modern French couleur), from Latin color "color of the skin; color in general, hue; appearance," from Old Latin colos, originally "a covering" (akin to celare

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