puton

Put-on is a term in English with multiple related senses derived from the phrasal verb to put on. It is most often written as put-on when used as a noun or adjective, and as "to put on" when used as a verb. The word's senses range from the literal act of clothing oneself to the figurative act of presenting, disguising, or feigning. In everyday usage, the noun put-on refers to a deception or prank, or to a feigned act; the adjective put-on describes something pretended or ostentatious.

In verb usage, to put on can mean to dress oneself (to put on a coat), to apply makeup, to perform or present a show (to put on a show), or to assume a role or manner (to put on airs). It can also indicate feigning for effect (to put on an act). The phrase is common in both everyday speech and theatrical contexts.

As a noun or adjective, a put-on is a deception, prank, or feigned thing; for example, "That whole story was a put-on." A put-on accent or smile describes something artificial or performed rather than genuine.

Origin and usage notes: the senses derive from the literal act of placing clothing on the body or presenting something, with figurative uses developing in the 19th and 20th centuries. In modern usage, put-on as a noun or adjective is typically hyphenated; the verb form is written as two words without a hyphen. See also deception, act, performance, and prank.