Now rare. Also 7 visard. [f. the sb.]
† 1. trans. To conceal or disguise (something) under a false outward show or appearance; to represent falsely or speciously. Obs.
1628. Prynne, Brief Survay, 48. Their dangerous and infectious plague-soares, which are onely vizarded and palliated, not clothed nor warmed with the sacred Robes.
1631. Weever, Anc. Funeral Mon., 51. Cloakes to hide their knauery, and beards to visard their hypocrisie.
1660. Shirley, Andromana, IV. vii. Plangus who hath vizarded his ends With vertue.
2. To cover or disguise (the face, etc.) with or as with a vizard or visor; to mask.
c. 1609. Webster, Appius & Virginia, V. iii. See these Monsters, whose fronts the fair Virginias innocent blood hath visarded with such black ugliness, that they are loathsome to all good mens souls.
1662. Hibbert, Body Divinity, I. 279. Jobs comforters … vizarding themselves under the cloke of amity.
a. 1669. H. Foulis, Hist. Rom. Treasons (1681), 255. They vizarded their members and meetings.
1872. Clark Russell, Repr. Actors (Chandos), p. xiii. Women mockingly vizarded themselves to conceal the only blushes their cheeks could exhibit—that of the paint-pot.
Hence Vi·zarding vbl. sb., the action of disguising with or as with a vizard; also concr., that which serves as a vizard or disguise.
1609. Ev. Woman in Hum., V. i., in Bullen, O. Pl., IV. Now for the cunning vizarding of them and tis done.
1694. Crowne, Married Beau, I. i. I’m angry with ’em for their vizarding.
1861. J. Murray, Songs Covenant Times, 77. Skulking from cot to cot, from cave to cave,… In quaint disguise and vizarding uncouth They shunned pursuit.
