From the French for "to disguise", it was "dazzle painting" to the British navy in WWI
The marine artist and Royal Naval Volunteer 
Reserve officer Norman... [DOC] [TLE] Dazzle Ships | The Public Domain Review [PAR] Dazzle camouflage (also known as Razzle Dazzle or Dazzle painting) was a 
military ... was serving in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve when he had the 
idea in 1917.