bluff vs masquerade

bluff

noun
  • An act of bluffing; a false expression of the strength of one's position in order to intimidate; braggadocio. 

  • An attempt to represent oneself as holding a stronger hand than one actually does. 

  • A high, steep bank, for example by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face. 

  • One who bluffs; a bluffer. 

  • A small wood or stand of trees, typically poplar or willow. 

adj
  • Roughly frank and hearty in one's manners. 

  • Having a broad, flattened front. 

  • Surly; churlish; gruff; rough. 

  • Rising steeply with a flat or rounded front. 

verb
  • To make a bluff; to give the impression that one's hand is stronger than it is. 

  • To give false information intentionally; to lie; to deceive 

  • To take advantage by bluffing. 

  • To fluff, puff or swell up. 

  • To frighten or deter with a false show of strength or confidence; to give a false impression of strength or temerity in order to intimidate and gain some advantage. 

masquerade

noun
  • 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. 

  • 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. 

  • A cosplay event at which costumed attendees perform skits. 

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 bluff and masquerade occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )