dis·sem·ble  (d ĭ-s ĕm b əl)
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v. dis·sem·bled, dis·sem·bling, dis·sem·bles v.intr. To disguise or conceal one's real nature, motives, or feelings behind a false appearance. v.tr. To disguise or conceal behind a false appearance. See Synonyms at disguise.
[Middle English dissemblen, from Old French dessembler, to be different : des-, dis- + sembler, to appear, seem; see SEMBLABLE.]
dis·semblance n. dis·sembler n. dis·sembling·ly adv. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
Indo-European Roots
Semitic Roots
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.
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