noun
1. (military) screen consisting of a cloud of smoke that obscures movements
• Syn: ↑smokescreen
• Topics: ↑military, ↑armed forces, ↑armed services, ↑military machine, ↑war machine
• Hypernyms: ↑screen
2. an action intended to conceal or confuse or obscure
-
requesting new powers of surveillance is just a smokescreen to hide their failures
• Syn: ↑smokescreen
• Hypernyms: ↑concealment, ↑concealing, ↑hiding
* * *
noun1. : a screen or cloud of smoke: as
a. : a screen of smoke designed to hinder enemy observation of a military force, area, or activity
b. : a heavy smoke supplied by smudge pots and designed to protect orchards and other plantings from injury by frost
2. : something designed to obscure, confuse, or mislead
seek immunity from criticism behind a rhetorical smoke screen about academic freedom — Sidney Hook
* * *
1. a mass of dense smoke produced to conceal an area, vessel, or plane from the enemy.
2. something intended to disguise, conceal, or deceive; camouflage.
[1910-15]
* * *
smoke screen,
1. a mass of thick smoke used to hide troops, ships, airplanes, or other equipment or maneuvers from the enemy.
2. Figurative: »
Seasoned observers of the Irish scene believe that the Partition provides an ideological smoke screen for a policy embarrasing to most Irishmen (Newsweek).
* * *
(also smokescreen) n. a cloud of smoke created to conceal military operations
■ figurative a ruse designed to disguise someone's real intentions or activities
he tried to create a smokescreen by quibbling about the statistics
* * *
noun, pl ⋯ screens [count]
1 : something that you do or say to hide something or to take attention away from something
His campaign promises were just a smoke screen.
The truth was hidden behind a smoke screen of lies.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.