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Webster 1913 Edition


Conceal

Con-ceal′

(kŏn-sēl′)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Concealed
(kŏn-sēld′)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Concealing
.]
[OF.
conceler
, L.
concelare
;
con-
+
celare
to hide; akin to AS.
helan
, G. hehlen, E.
hele
(
to cover
),
helmet
. See
Hell
,
Helmet
.]
To hide or withdraw from observation; to cover; to cover or keep from sight; to prevent the discovery of; to withhold knowledge of.
It is the glory of God to
conceal
a thing.
Prov. xxv. 2.
Declare ye among the nations, . . . publish and
conceal
not.
Jer. l. 2.
Syn. – To hide; secrete; screen; cover; disguise; dissemble; mask; veil; cloak; screen.
To Conceal
,
Hide
,
Disguise
,
Dissemble
,
Secrete
. To hide is the generic term, which embraces all the rest. To conceal is simply not make known what we wish to keep secret. In the Bible hide often has the specific meaning of conceal. See
1 Sam. iii. 17, 18.
To disguise or dissemble is to conceal by assuming some false appearance. To secrete is to hide in some place of secrecy. A man may conceal facts, disguise his sentiments, dissemble his feelings, secrete stolen goods.
Bur double griefs afflict
concealing
hearts.
Spenser.
Both
dissemble
deeply their affections.
Shakespeare
We have in these words a primary sense, which reveals a future state, and a secondary sense, which
hides
and
secretes
it.
Warburton.

Webster 1828 Edition


Conceal

CONCEAL

,
Verb.
T.
[L. To withhold from sight,; G.,To conceal, and to heal; the primary sense is to strain, hold, stop, restrain, make fast or strong, all from the same root as the Shemitic.]
1.
To keep close or secret; to forbear to disclose; to withhold from utterance or declaration; as, to conceal ones thoughts or opinions.
I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. Job 6.
2.
To hide; to withdraw from observation; to cover or keep from sight.
What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? Genesis 37.
A party of men concealed themselves behind a wall. A mask conceals the face.

Definition 2024


conceal

conceal

English

Verb

conceal (third-person singular simple present conceals, present participle concealing, simple past and past participle concealed)

  1. (transitive) To hide something from view or from public knowledge, to try to keep something secret.
    He tried to conceal the truth about his health.
    • 1915, Emerson Hough, The Purchase Price, chapterII:
      Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers, of errand not wholly obvious to their fellows, yet of such sort as to call into query alike the nature of their errand and their own relations. It is easily earned repetition to state that Josephine St. Auban's was a presence not to be concealed.

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