guise

noun

1
: a form or style of dress : costume
attended the masquerade in the guise of a court jester
2
a
obsolete : manner, fashion
b
archaic : a customary way of speaking or behaving
3
a
: external appearance : semblance
The android is a machine in human guise.
b
: pretext
swindles people under the guise of friendship

Examples of guise in a Sentence

he sneaked into the castle to rescue Ivanhoe in the guise of a priest coming to give Ivanhoe his last rites she felt as though she should be wearing some sort of Germanic guise, complete with dirndl, for the fall festival featuring traditional German food and drink
Recent Examples on the Web In its new guise as an Israeli tanker, signs remain of the aircraft’s past life, a reminder of its age. Nic Robertson, CNN, 30 Sep. 2024 The sacred role of comedy, the leveled ground of conversation standing under the astute guise of humor is for many the last place left for the difficult conversations to occur. Michael Ghannoum, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Oct. 2024 But the 48-year-old was arrested at his Las Vegas home in January 2023, accused of luring girls from California to Canada and allegedly raping them and making some his spiritual wives under the false guise of traditional practices. Sean Keane, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2024 That day, the 13-year-old had taken a trip with Oliver from their neighborhood in Eau Claire, Wis., to Madison, Wis., under the guise that Oliver was taking Jessyca to a meeting with a publisher who was interested in her work. Sean Neumann, People.com, 29 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for guise 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'guise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gise, guise, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wīsa manner — more at wise

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of guise was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near guise

Cite this Entry

“Guise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guise. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

guise

noun
1
: a form or style of dress : costume
in the guise of a shepherd
2
: outer or disguised appearance : semblance
swindled people under the guise of friendship

Biographical Definition

Guise 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

ˈgēz,
also
ˈgwēz How to pronounce Guise (audio)
2nd Duc de 1519–1563 François de Lorraine French soldier and politician

Guise

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

3rd Duc de 1550–1588 Henri I de Lorraine French soldier and politician

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