ˌcamiˈsado Mil. Obs. or arch.
Also 6 cammassado, camnesado, camisada, 7 camizado, 8 camiscado.
[ad. Sp. cami{chook}ada, camisada, f. camisa shirt: lit. ‘an attack in one's shirt’: see camis, chemise, and -ado; also canvasado.]
1. A night attack; originally one in which the attacking party wore shirts over their armour as a means of mutual recognition. (A very common word in 16–17th c.)
| 1548 W. Patten Exped. Scotl. in Arb. Garner III. 89 Of whom, in a camisado..his Lordship killed above eight hundred. 1566 Gascoigne Jocasta Wks. 91 By night I wil the cammassado give. 1575 Churchyard Chippes (1817) 110 The French came forth, at midnight..As though they would a camisado make. 1579 Fenton Guicciard. xii. (1599) 554 Ranse de Cere..gaue them a Camnesado in their lodging. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres Gloss. 249 Camisada, a Spanish word, and doth signifie the inuesting or putting on of a shirt ouer the souldiers apparell or armour; the which is vsed in the night time, when any suddaine exploit..is to be put in practise vpon the enemy. 1663 Flagellum or O. Cromwell (1672) 83 Not dreaming of such a Camisado. 1721 De Foe Mem. Cavalier (1840) 106 The garrison..gave us several camisadoes. 1865 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. V. xiii. xiii. 125 Prince Karl..has been on march all night, intending a night-attack or camisado. |
b. fig.
| 1565 Jewel Repl. Harding (1611) 5 Howbeit (gentle Reader) be of good cheere. All this is but a camisado: These be but visards: they bee no faces. 1678 Butler Hud. iii. ii. 296 Some for engaging to suppress The Camisado of Surplices..More proper for the cloudy Night Of Popery, than Gospel-Light. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. II. iv. vii. 216 A camisado, or shirt-tumult, every where. |
2. (erron.) The shirt worn over the armour in a night attack.
| 1618 Sir R. Williams Actions Lowe Countr. 82 (T.) Some two thousand of our best men, all in camisadoes with scaling ladders. Ibid. 83 Their armours and camisadoes: I mean the shirts that covered their armours. |