Conceal \Con*ceal"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Concealed; p. pr. &
vb. n. Concealing.]
[OF. conceler, L. concelare; con- +
celareto 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.
He which finds him shall deserve our thanks, . . . He
that conceals him, death. --Shak.
Syn: To hide; secrete; screen; cover; disguise; dissemble;
mask; veil; cloak; screen.
Usage: 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. --Shak.
We have in these words a primary sense, which
reveals a future state, and a secondary sense,
which hides and secretes it. --Warburton.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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