dissemblance

plural dissemblances

1. countableusuallyAn act of dissembling.

   Such dissemblance, at any rate, is not a temptation at this exhibition.

   2009 March 28, Edward Rothstein, “Catching Some Z’s in Days of Yore”, in New York Times

   Synonyms: concealment, dissimulation, indirectness

2. uncountableusuallyDissembling, as a kind of behavior; dissembling, generally.

   With Mae West, coquettish dissemblance was out; womanly seductiveness was in.

   1980 December 22, Virginia Haradon, “Letters”, in Time

   Synonyms: concealment, dissimulation, indirectness

3. countableusuallyDissimilarity, unlikeness.

   As this latter animal [the sperm whale] is quite one-third head, he has no very great dissemblance to the alligator in this particular.

   1849, James Fenimore Cooper, chapter 11, in The Sea Lions

   1 more example

   Moreover, at any season there is a difference between down grass and mountain grass, between sea grass and valley grass, between moor grass and wood grass. It may be slight, and not in kind but only in shadowy dissemblances of texture and hue.

   1916 February 7, “The Greatest Miracle”, in Hawera & Normanby Star, New Zealand, retrieved 12 Aug 2011, page 2

   Synonyms: difference, distinction