Glossary

Below you'll find some of terms used in connection with camouflage uniforms

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ACU Army Combat Uniform. Designation used by US Army for the digital uniform introduced 2004
Alpenflage A term used by shops and collectors to designate the Swiss camouflage pattern
AUSCAM Australian Camouflage patten. An unofficial term for the DPCU.
BDU Battle Dress Uniform. American term.
CADPAT Canadian Pattern. The distinct camouflage pattern used by the Canadian Armed Forces
Canadian button Button attached with a strap instead of being sewed on
Cordura A DuPont trademark. This material is often used for equipment.
Digital pattern A camouflage pattern consisting of small "squares" - like MARPAT and CADPAT - "pixel pattern"
DPCU Disruptive Pattern, Combat Uniform - the official Australian designation for the AUSCAM
DPM Disruptive Pattern Material. Term used by the British and Irish armies
ERDL US Army "Engineer Research & Development Laboratories" - they developed the "leaf pattern" used by US forces during the Vietnam war
Flecktar Either "Flecktarn" misspelled or a camouflage pattern (based on the Flecktarn pattern...) sold by the Russian SPLAV corporation
Flecktarn "Spot camouflage" (German: "Fleck" = spot, "tarn" = camouflage). Often misspelled "flectarn" or "flecktar"
Leibermuster A German camouflage pattern developed at the very end of WW2, issued in a very small scale. But it was however used by a number of armies after WW2 (Czechoslovakia, Belgium, West Germany and Switzerland)
Lizard An originally French "horizontal" pattern of green and brown strokes
M/84 Usually used to designate the Danish version of the German Flecktarn.
MARPAT Marine Pattern. The distinct camouflage pattern used by the US Marine Corps
Natick US Army "Natick Soldier Center" - http://www.natick.army.mil - center for development of uniforms etc.
Ny/Co Nylon/cotton mixture
Rip-stop The clothing is stitched into small squares so that a rip doesn't spread. Often used for cotton etc.
TASS Tenue d'assaut - attack uniform. Swiss-French designation
TAZ Tarnanzug - camouflage uniform. Swiss-German designation
Tiger stripes A horizontal pattern usually with black strokes, evolved from the French Lizard
Tropentarn German meaning "Tropical camouflage". Used to designate the tropical (hot climate versions) of the standard Flecktarn. Some use it to designate "Wüstentarn"
Woodland Usually used to designate the US M/81 "woodland" pattern based on the ERDL pattern.
Wüstentarn German meaning "Desert camouflage". Used to designate the desert version of Flecktarn

ACU	Army Combat Uniform. Designation used by US Army for the digital uniform introduced 2004
Alpenflage	A term used by shops and collectors to designate the Swiss camouflage pattern
AUSCAM	Australian Camouflage patten. An unofficial term for the DPCU.
BDU	Battle Dress Uniform. American term.
CADPAT	Canadian Pattern. The distinct camouflage pattern used by the Canadian Armed Forces
Canadian button	Button attached with a strap instead of being sewed on
Cordura	A DuPont trademark. This material is often used for equipment.
Digital pattern	A camouflage pattern consisting of small "squares" - like MARPAT and CADPAT - "pixel pattern"
DPCU	Disruptive Pattern, Combat Uniform - the official Australian designation for the AUSCAM
DPM	Disruptive Pattern Material. Term used by the British and Irish armies
ERDL	US Army "Engineer Research & Development Laboratories" - they developed the "leaf pattern" used by US forces during the Vietnam war
Flecktar	Either "Flecktarn" misspelled or a camouflage pattern (based on the Flecktarn pattern...) sold by the Russian SPLAV corporation
Flecktarn	"Spot camouflage" (German: "Fleck" = spot, "tarn" = camouflage). Often misspelled "flectarn" or "flecktar"
Leibermuster	A German camouflage pattern developed at the very end of WW2, issued in a very small scale. But it was however used by a number of armies after WW2 (Czechoslovakia, Belgium, West Germany and Switzerland)
Lizard	An originally French "horizontal" pattern of green and brown strokes
M/84	Usually used to designate the Danish version of the German Flecktarn.
MARPAT	Marine Pattern. The distinct camouflage pattern used by the US Marine Corps
Natick	US Army "Natick Soldier Center" - http://www.natick.army.mil - center for development of uniforms etc.
Ny/Co	Nylon/cotton mixture
Rip-stop	The clothing is stitched into small squares so that a rip doesn't spread. Often used for cotton etc.
TASS	Tenue d'assaut - attack uniform. Swiss-French designation
TAZ	Tarnanzug - camouflage uniform. Swiss-German designation
Tiger stripes	A horizontal pattern usually with black strokes, evolved from the French Lizard
Tropentarn	German meaning "Tropical camouflage". Used to designate the tropical (hot climate versions) of the standard Flecktarn. Some use it to designate "Wüstentarn"
Woodland	Usually used to designate the US M/81 "woodland" pattern based on the ERDL pattern.
Wüstentarn	German meaning "Desert camouflage". Used to designate the desert version of Flecktarn