camo
UK[ˈkæməʊ]US[ˈkæmoʊ]
n
A pattern, material, or covering used to disguise soldiers, military equipment, etc., by making them blend in with their surroundings.
n
Clothing or fabric with such a pattern, worn for concealment.
Morpheme Breakdown
camo
camo
shortened form
Etymology
The word 'camo' is a direct and informal shortening of 'camouflage', which entered English from French during World War I. The French verb 'camoufler', meaning 'to disguise', has its origins in the Italian 'camuffare' (to disguise or deceive). The ultimate etymology of 'camuffare' is uncertain but may be linked to a slang term for a disguise or mask. The clipped form 'camo' emerged in the mid-20th century, primarily in military and later civilian slang, to refer succinctly to the patterned material or the clothing itself, reflecting a common linguistic process of abbreviation for frequently used technical terms.
Analysis
Structure: camo (shortened form)
The morpheme 'camo' is a clipping of the English word 'camouflage'. It is a 20th-century English formation with no further segmentable morphemes in its current, abbreviated form.
Examples
The soldiers wore green and brown camo to blend into the forest.
He bought a new jacket in a digital camo pattern.
The vehicle was covered in camo netting to hide it from aerial view.