noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/ˈsmoʊkˌskɹin/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S M OW1 K S K R IY2 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover, as of troops in battle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Anything used metaphorically to conceal or distract.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
All that talk is just a smokescreen to disguise the fact that he has nothing to say.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
an action intended to conceal or confuse or obscure
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
requesting new powers of surveillance is just a smokescreen to hide their failures
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: smoke screen
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: concealment, concealing, hiding
4
noun
Meaning 4
(military) screen consisting of a cloud of smoke that obscures movements
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: smoke screen
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: screen
History
Etymology
From smoke + screen.
Across languages
Translations
76 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
سِتَار دُخَانِيّ
(sitār duḵāniyy)
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Armenian:
ծխածածկույթ
(cxacackuytʻ)
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Azerbaijani:
tüstü pərdəsi
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Belarusian:
дымава́я заве́са
(dymavája zavjésa)
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Belarusian:
дымава́я засло́на
(dymavája zaslóna)
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Bulgarian:
ди́мна заве́са
(dímna zavésa)
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Chinese Mandarin:
煙幕 /烟幕
(yānmù)
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Chinese Mandarin:
煙氣幕 /烟气幕
(yānqìmù)
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Czech:
kouřová clona
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Danish:
røgslør
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Dutch:
rookgordijn
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Estonian:
suitsukate
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Finnish:
savuverho
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
French:
écran de fumée
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
French:
rideau de fumée
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Galician:
cortina de fume
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
German:
Nebelwand
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
German:
Nebelvorhand
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
German:
Nebelschleier
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
German:
Deckmantel
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
German:
Rauchvorhang
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Hungarian:
ködfüggöny
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Irish:
brat deataigh
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Italian:
cortina fumogena
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Japanese:
煙幕
(enmaku)
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Korean:
연막
(yeonmak)
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Latvian:
dūmu aizsegs
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Lithuanian:
dūmų uždanga
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Macedonian:
димна завеса
(dimna zavesa)
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Norwegian Bokmål:
røykskjerm
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Polish:
zasłona dymna
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Portuguese:
cortina de fumaça
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Portuguese:
cortina de fumo
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Russian:
дымова́я заве́са
(dymovája zavésa)
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Serbo-Croatian:
димна завеса
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Serbo-Croatian:
димна завјеса
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Serbo-Croatian:
dimna zavesa
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Serbo-Croatian:
dimna zavjesa
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Slovak:
dymová clona
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Slovene:
dimna zavesa
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Spanish:
cortina de humo
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Swedish:
rökridå
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Swedish:
dimridå
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Turkish:
sis perdesi
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Ukrainian:
димова́ заві́са
(dymová zavísa)
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Ukrainian:
димова́ засло́на
(dymová zaslóna)
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Vietnamese:
hoả mù
— smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover
Armenian:
ծխածածկույթ
(cxacackuytʻ)
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Chinese Mandarin:
掩飾物 /掩饰物
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Chinese Mandarin:
幌子
(huǎngzi)
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Chinese Mandarin:
障眼法
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Finnish:
savuverho
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
French:
écran de fumée
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Galician:
cortina de fume
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
German:
Vorwand
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
German:
Ablenkung
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
German:
Ablenkungsmanöver
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
German:
Tarnmanöver
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
German:
Vernebelung
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
German:
Deckmantel
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Hungarian:
ködösítés
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Hungarian:
félrevezetés
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Hungarian:
elterelés
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Hungarian:
álca
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Japanese:
煙幕
(enmaku)
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Korean:
연막
(yeonmak)
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Latvian:
aizsegs
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Polish:
zasłona dymna
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Portuguese:
cortina de fumaça
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Portuguese:
cortina de fumo
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Portuguese:
fachada
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Spanish:
cortina de humo
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Swedish:
rökridå
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Swedish:
dimridå
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Turkish:
sis perdesi
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract
Vietnamese:
hoả mù
— anything used (metaphorically) to conceal or distract