An outward appearance or false pretense that hides someone's true identity or intentions.
From Old French 'guise' meaning 'manner' or 'fashion,' possibly from Germanic roots. It originally meant 'way of dressing' but evolved to mean any outward appearance or disguise.
The phrase 'under the guise of' is classic detective-story language—villains always approach with 'under the guise of friendship' or similar, making guise the perfect word for when something pretends to be innocent.
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