The Collaborative International Dictionary
Camisade \Cam`i*sade"\, Camisado \Cam`i*sa"do\, n. [F. camisade a night attack; cf. It. camiciata. See Camis.] [Obs.] (Mil.)
A shirt worn by soldiers over their uniform, in order to be able to recognize one another in a night attack.
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An attack by surprise by soldiers wearing the camisado.
Give them a camisado in night season.
--Holinshed. [1913 Webster] ||
Wiktionary
n. 1 (context archaic English) A nocturnal ambush or surprising act of aggression. 2 (context obsolete English) A shirt worn by soldiers over their uniform, in order to be able to recognize one another in a night attack.
Wikipedia
In military tactics, a camisado or camisade is a surprise attack occurring at night or at daybreak, when the enemy are supposed to be asleep.
The term comes from Spanish camisa (shirt): when the Tercio had actions (skirmishes) of around fifty men attacking at night with minimum equipment, only sword and dagger (although some soldiers could carry arquebus or musket), and they were dressed only with a white shirt (thus the Spanish word :es:encamisada), in order to kill in silence as many enemies as possible while they were sleeping. This is reflected in the film Alatriste, based on the main character of The Adventures of Captain Alatriste , a series of novels written by Arturo Pérez-Reverte.
Usage examples of "camisado".
Following him, Silence noticed three-inch thorns hidden in the foliage, saw too the pale flowers of a camisado vine winding through the branches.
Looking more closely, Silence recognized a camisado vine, and then the narrow black flowers of an adderwort.
And France recounted with her comic smile Duplicities of Court and Cabinet, The silky female of his male in guile, Wherewith her two-faced Master could amuse A dupe he charmed in sunny beams to bask, Before his feint for camisado struck The lightning moment of the cast-off mask.