barn dance vs masquerade

barn dance

noun
  • A type of set step routine dancing, such as square dance. 

verb
  • To take part in barn dancing. 

masquerade

noun
  • A cosplay event at which costumed attendees perform skits. 

  • The act of wearing a mask or dressing up in a costume for, or as if for, a masquerade ball. 

  • An assembly of varied, often fanciful, things. 

  • An assembly or party of people wearing (usually elaborate or fanciful) masks and costumes, and amusing themselves with dancing, conversation, or other diversions. 

  • An act of living under false pretenses; a concealment of something by a false or unreal show; a disguise, a pretence; also, a pretentious display. 

verb
  • To conceal (someone) with, or as if with, a mask; to disguise. 

  • To take part in a masquerade; to assemble in masks and costumes; (loosely) to wear a disguise. 

  • To pass off as a different person or a person with qualities that one does not possess; also, to make a pretentious show of being what one is not. 

How often have the words barn dance and masquerade occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )