"unmask one's batteries" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "From the revealing of artillery previously concealed from the enemy’s line of sight, immediately before opening fire.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "unmasks one's batteries",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unmasking one's batteries",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unmasked one's batteries",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unmasked one's batteries",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*",
        "head": "unmask one's batteries"
      },
      "expansion": "unmask one's batteries (third-person singular simple present unmasks one's batteries, present participle unmasking one's batteries, simple past and past participle unmasked one's batteries)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1858, William Harrison Ainsworth, Mervyn Clitheroe, volume 2, page 278",
          "text": "“Your father is fond of surprises, as you must have seen,” Cuthbert rejoined. “He won’t unmask his batteries till all is ready for action.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1877, J. H. Merle d’Aubigné, translated by William L. R. Cates, History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, volume 7, pages 198–99",
          "text": "The bishops, proud of this first victory, believed that a second would be easily won, and they unmasked their batteries.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1882 August 26, Public Opinion, volume 42, number 1,092, page 262",
          "text": "The Evénément remarks:—“The Egyptian Question is not a French or an Anglo-French, but a European question, and the spoliation just perpetrated by England, has enlightened Europe in time. It is not wise to unmask one’s batteries too soon.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To begin a decisive action, especially one that reveals one’s true strength or character."
      ],
      "id": "en-unmask_one's_batteries-en-verb-oycL26Jy",
      "links": [
        [
          "begin",
          "begin"
        ],
        [
          "decisive",
          "decisive"
        ],
        [
          "action",
          "action"
        ],
        [
          "strength",
          "strength"
        ],
        [
          "character",
          "character"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, dated) To begin a decisive action, especially one that reveals one’s true strength or character."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "36 64",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see unmask, battery."
      ],
      "id": "en-unmask_one's_batteries-en-verb-suyoZKM8",
      "links": [
        [
          "unmask",
          "unmask#English"
        ],
        [
          "battery",
          "battery#English"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "28 72",
          "word": "cross the Rubicon"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 72",
          "word": "show one's cards"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "unmask one's batteries"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the revealing of artillery previously concealed from the enemy’s line of sight, immediately before opening fire.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "unmasks one's batteries",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unmasking one's batteries",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unmasked one's batteries",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unmasked one's batteries",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*",
        "head": "unmask one's batteries"
      },
      "expansion": "unmask one's batteries (third-person singular simple present unmasks one's batteries, present participle unmasking one's batteries, simple past and past participle unmasked one's batteries)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "cross the Rubicon"
    },
    {
      "word": "show one's cards"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English dated terms",
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1858, William Harrison Ainsworth, Mervyn Clitheroe, volume 2, page 278",
          "text": "“Your father is fond of surprises, as you must have seen,” Cuthbert rejoined. “He won’t unmask his batteries till all is ready for action.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1877, J. H. Merle d’Aubigné, translated by William L. R. Cates, History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, volume 7, pages 198–99",
          "text": "The bishops, proud of this first victory, believed that a second would be easily won, and they unmasked their batteries.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1882 August 26, Public Opinion, volume 42, number 1,092, page 262",
          "text": "The Evénément remarks:—“The Egyptian Question is not a French or an Anglo-French, but a European question, and the spoliation just perpetrated by England, has enlightened Europe in time. It is not wise to unmask one’s batteries too soon.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To begin a decisive action, especially one that reveals one’s true strength or character."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "begin",
          "begin"
        ],
        [
          "decisive",
          "decisive"
        ],
        [
          "action",
          "action"
        ],
        [
          "strength",
          "strength"
        ],
        [
          "character",
          "character"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, dated) To begin a decisive action, especially one that reveals one’s true strength or character."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see unmask, battery."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "unmask",
          "unmask#English"
        ],
        [
          "battery",
          "battery#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "unmask one's batteries"
}