Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CHARADE

n.A composition, in which the subject must be a word of two syllables, each forming a distinct word; and these syllables are to be concealed in an enigmatical description, first separately and then together. Example. My first, when a Frenchman in learning English, serves him to swear by. My second is either hay or corn. My whole is the delight of the age.

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

CHARADE

Cha *rade ", n. Etym: [F. charade, cf. Pr. charrada long chat, It ciarlare to chat, whence E. charlatan. ]

 

Defn: A verbal or acted enigma based upon a word which has two or more significant syllables or parts, each of which, as well as the word itself, is to be guessed from the descriptions or representations.

 

New American Oxford Dictionary

charade

cha rade |SHəˈrād ʃəˈreɪd | ▶noun an absurd pretense intended to create a pleasant or respectable appearance: talk of unity was nothing more than a charade. • (charades ) a game in which players guess a word or phrase from pantomimed clues. ORIGIN late 18th cent.: from French, from modern Provençal charrado ‘conversation, ’ from charra ‘chatter, ’ perhaps of imitative origin.

 

Oxford Dictionary

charade

charade |ʃəˈrɑːd | ▶noun an absurd pretence intended to create a pleasant or respectable appearance: talk of unity was nothing more than a charade. • (charades ) a game in which players guess a word or phrase from a written or acted clue given for each syllable and for the whole item. ORIGIN late 18th cent.: from French, from modern Provençal charrado ‘conversation ’, from charra ‘chatter ’, perhaps of imitative origin.

 

American Oxford Thesaurus

charade

charade noun our entire relationship is a charade: farce, pantomime, travesty, mockery, parody, pretense, act, masquerade.

 

Oxford Thesaurus

charade

charade noun the race for the presidential nomination has been a shameless charade: farce, pantomime, travesty, mockery, parody, pretence, act, masquerade, sham, fake, false display, show, front, facade; rare simulacrum.

 

Duden Dictionary

Charade

Cha ra de Substantiv, feminin , die |Char a de ʃa …| Scharade

 

French Dictionary

charade

charade n. f. nom féminin Énigme qui consiste à découvrir un mot à partir de la définition de ses syllabes. : Voici une charade: Mon premier est un métal précieux, mon second est un habitant des cieux et mon tout est un fruit délicieux. Qui suis-je? Orange (or-ange ).

 

Sanseido Wisdom Dictionary

charade

cha rade /ʃəréɪd |-rɑ́ːd /名詞 C 1 (みえすいた )うその芝居, みせかけ .2 〖～s; 単数扱い 〗シャレード 〘ジェスチャーゲームの一種 〙.3 (シャレードで )身ぶりで表すヒント .