Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(a) in betting, one who bets on behalf of a racehorse trainer – who is not supposed to do so on his own runner.

1953		J.H. Palmer This Was Racing 107: [A horse trainer] didn’t make the bets himself, fearing that this might put a run on [his] horse, but had several friends put the money down in small lots. This is known in the trade as using ‘beards’.
1956		‘Toney Betts’ Across the Board 15: So I played horses, using men as betting commissioners, or ‘beards’.

(b) a friend who acts as a ‘cover’, usu. for extramarital affairs; thus as v.

1968		K. Brasselle Cannibals 30: We used to drink together, go to ball games, ‘beard’ for each other, have great times.
1972		(con. 1950s) C. Ashman Kissinger: The Adventures of Super-Kraut 7: One night I was bearding for a Congressman. This is a duty of bachelor staff members when a legislator is married and wishes to go out publicly with a lady other than his wife.
1989		J. Morton Lowspeak.
1993		A. Rodriguez Spidertown (1994) 40: Rosa was her ‘beard.’ If Cristalena’s mom called, Rosa covered for her, made up excuses.
1999		L. Siegel Love in a Dead Lang. 80: One night when I was playing the beard for him after he had told Pimiko we were comparing Sanskrit and Japanese versions [etc.].
2016		V. McDermid Out of Bounds (2017) 201: ‘Did she know she was a beard? Or did she think there was nothing going on between you?’.

(c) (US gay/lesbian) a woman who poses as the wife or lover of a gay man who wishes to hide his real sexual preference.

1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 30: beard (kwn LV, mid ’60s) 1. a woman who dates homosexual men to help them socially. 2. to date a woman to prevent suspicion of being homosexual.
1997		Roger’s Profanisaurus in Viz 87 Dec. n.p.: beard n. A woman married to a gay man in order to conceal his homosexuality. As in: ‘Do you reckon that Sophie’s a beard then, or what?’ See also whiff of lavender, frock.
1997–2001		Online Sl. Dict. 🌐 beard n 1. a straight woman married to or involved with a gay man. The gay man may be in the public eye and may have a beard to hide the fact that he is gay. (‘Sandy is just his beard.’).
2000		Guardian Rev. 31 Mar. 8: And he is gay. He married a beard, she’s his PA.

(d) (US gay/lesbian) a man used as an ostensible lover or even husband, as a disguise for one’s real sexual preference; thus as v.

1982		Maledicta VI:1+2 (Summer/Winter) 128: Some [lesbians] will marry a gay as a beard (a male front).
1999		Guardian Weekend 21 Aug. 5: There were several comments about beards and lavender friends.

(e) a disguise; something or someone who encourages misdirection.

1982–2004		G. Sculatti Catalog of Cool 🌐 beard (noun): Cover or disguise, in the form of an object or person. Dean and Ehrlichman were Tricky Dick’s beards at Watergate.
1991		in J. Breslin Damon Runyon (1992) 161: The second problem was a safecracking job, and for the first time in crime in New York, they were bringing a baby as a beard.
1995		R. Campbell Wizard of La-La Land (1999) 223: There’s no booze in it, just water. It’s my beard when I’m pretending to be on the sauce.
2004		Simon & Price ‘Moral Midgetry’ Wire ser. 3 ep. 8 [TV script] You’re just a beard for the empowerment grant.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 397: Their hierarchy was, in Company jargon: RAF johnnies, beards, double beards, full sets and empty wigs.