Showing results for "mask"

• a variation of masque.

mask

American  

[mask, mahsk] / mæsk, mɑsk /

noun

• masks
  plural

1. a covering for all or part of the face, worn to conceal one's identity.

2. a grotesque or humorous false face worn at a carnival, masquerade, etc..

   Halloween masks.

3. Also called swim mask.  a device consisting typically of a transparent glass or plastic panel fitted into a flexible rubber gasket that fits snugly around the eyes, over the cheeks, and usually over the nose: used by skin divers.

4. anything that disguises or conceals; disguise; pretense.

   His politeness is a mask for his fundamentally malicious personality.

5. a likeness of a face, as one molded on the face in plaster.

6. a covering of wire, gauze, etc., to protect the face, as from splinters, dust, or a pitched ball.

7. gas mask.

8. any protective covering for the face or head.

9. any protective covering, as paper, cardboard, plastic, or the like, used for masking an area of something, as of a photograph or window.

10. the dark shading on the muzzle of certain dogs.

11. a representation of a face or head, generally grotesque, used as an architectural ornament or as a decorative device in weaponry, furniture, etc.

12. a person wearing a mask; masker.

13. masque.

14. Also a cosmetic cream, gel, paste, or the like, that is applied to the face and allowed to remain for a short time before being removed and is used for tightening, cleansing, refreshing, or lubricating the skin.

15. a piece of cloth, silk, or plastic material covering the face of an actor to symbolize the character being represented: used in Greek and Roman drama and in some modern plays.

16. the face or head, as of a fox.

17. Electronics. a type of stencil applied to the surface of a semiconductor to permit selective etching or deposition: used in the manufacture of integrated circuits by photolithography.

18. Fortification. a screen, as of earth or brush, for concealing or protecting a battery or any military operation.

19. Also called braker.  Shipbuilding. a sliding timber construction braced against the stern of a hull being launched to keep it from entering the water too rapidly.

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verb (used with object)

• masks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• masked,
  past participle,  past
• masking
  present participle

1. to disguise or conceal; hide; dissemble.

   to mask one's intentions.

   Synonyms:

   cover, cloak, screen, veil

2. to cover or conceal with a mask.

3. to cover or shield a part of (a design, picture, etc.) in order to prevent reproduction or to protect the surface from the colors used, as in working with an air brush or in painting.

4. Fortification. to conceal (a battery or any military operation) from the enemy.

5. to hinder, as an army, from conducting an operation.

verb (used without object)

• masks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• masked,
  past participle,  past
• masking
  present participle

1. to put on a mask; disguise oneself.

mask British  

/ mɑːsk /

noun

1. any covering for the whole or a part of the face worn for amusement, protection, disguise, etc

2. a fact, action, etc, that conceals something

   his talk was a mask for his ignorance

3. another name for masquerade

4. a likeness of a face or head, either sculpted or moulded, such as a death mask

5. an image of a face worn by an actor, esp in ancient Greek and Roman drama, in order to symbolize the character being portrayed

6. a variant spelling of masque

7. surgery a sterile gauze covering for the nose and mouth worn esp during operations to minimize the spread of germs

8. sport a protective covering for the face worn for fencing, ice hockey, etc

9. a carving in the form of a face or head, used as an ornament

10. a natural land feature or artificial object which conceals troops, etc, from view

11. a device placed over the nose and mouth to facilitate or prevent inhalation of a gas

12. photog a shield of paper, paint, etc, placed over an area of unexposed photographic surface to stop light falling on it

13. electronics a thin sheet of material from which a pattern has been cut, placed over a semiconductor chip so that an integrated circuit can be formed on the exposed areas

14. computing a bit pattern which, by convolution with a second pattern in a logical operation, can be used to isolate a specific subset of the second pattern for examination

15. entomol a large prehensile mouthpart (labium) of the dragonfly larva

16. the face or head of an animal, such as a fox, or the dark coloration of the face of some animals, such as Siamese cats and certain dogs

17. another word for face pack

18. rare a person wearing a mask

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verb

1. to cover with or put on a mask

2. (tr) to conceal; disguise

   to mask an odour

3. (tr) photog to shield a particular area of (an unexposed photographic surface) in order to prevent or reduce the action of light there

4. (tr) to shield a particular area of (a surface to be painted) with masking tape

5. (tr) to cover (cooked food, esp meat) with a savoury sauce or glaze

6. a Scottish variant of mash

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• masklike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• masks
  plural

Participles

• masking
  present
• masked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• mask
  simple
• masks
  simple
• have masked
  perfect
• has masked
  perfect
• am masking
  progressive
• are masking
  progressive
• is masking
  progressive
• have been masking
  perfect progressive
• has been masking
  perfect progressive

Past

• masked
  simple
• had masked
  perfect
• was masking
  progressive
• were masking
  progressive
• had been masking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will mask
  simple
• will have masked
  perfect
• will be masking
  progressive
• will have been masking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of mask

First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French masque, perhaps directly from Italian maschera “mask, disguise,” from unattested pre-Latin maskara, an extended form of unattested mask-, probably with the original sense “black” (blackening the face being a simple form of disguise); another development of the same base is early Medieval Latin masca “witch, ghost” (also, “mask”); see mascot

Explanation

A mask is a disguise that covers just your face. Your Halloween costume might include a scary monster mask and a furry suit with a tail, or maybe you just wear that for fun. You can wear a mask to conceal your identity, to dress up as a character for a party or holiday, to scare someone, or to make someone laugh. Robbers sometimes wear masks so they can't be identified, and an actor might wear a mask while playing the role of a rabbit in a play. Other masks are useful, including masks that protect patients from germs and masks that keep skiers' faces warm.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mask masks masked masking

An elderly woman in a surgical mask rocked slightly as she prayed, eyes closed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

She arrived Monday for sentencing -- at which prosecutors had sought a 13-year term -- in a wheelchair, wearing hospital pyjamas and a surgical mask, surrounded by aides.

From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026

These deliveries rely on an elaborate ship-to-ship transfer system, where sanctioned tankers unload crude onto vessels in international waters off the coast of Malaysia to mask the fuel’s origin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Later he tells me to take control of the plane with the stick as I wear my helmet and oxygen mask and hear his instructions on the radio.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

“Maybe. But the kids I talked to thought it was weird, since the person in the mask left right when the artist started showing all those cool sketches.”

From "A Monster of a Mystery (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #5)" by Franklin W. Dixon

González sought the creation of the fund for air purifiers, masks and other health essentials for neighbors in the wake of an accident.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

Preacher Hatchel does his best, but is too distracted by his secret project stockpiling gas masks and Arctic underwear beneath his Bible college.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Roman's Coronagraphic Instrument will use masks, prisms, detectors, filters, and self-flexing mirrors to demonstrate technologies capable of suppressing starlight.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

For bad actors, they’re perfect masks: The owner of Anonymous Inc. is not a person but rather Unidentified Corp.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

Swimmers wearing snorkel masks jump from the deck to swim below.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

Inside the Universalist Unitarian Church of Riverside, a line of masked people filed into the red-lighted chapel, one by one, to take part in the rite of confession.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

But management said that figure masked progress it was making in its efforts to appeal to families, as well as gains made from e-commerce sales and a collaboration with Pokémon.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

But the glass on vitrines is nonreflective; lighting is state of the art; and windows, once masked by curtains, now reveal the landscape, thanks to UV-filtering film.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

The losingest jersey in sports masked five no-funny-business basketball players who could give superstars a scare.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

He was close enough now for Inigo to realize that the man was masked, a black hood covering all but his features.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

At that point, when female social relationships become exponentially more complicated and masking becomes more difficult, their mental health outcomes split sharply from those of their male peers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Moseley says the exact opposite: "There is really high-quality work on masking, and it's startling and upsetting to see such work be denigrated."

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Iran has also relied on a shadow fleet of older tankers to transport sanctioned crude while masking the vessels’ movements and ownership structures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Vaccines, masking, improved indoor air quality and acquired immunity have all kept the virus at bay so that morgue trucks no longer fill the streets.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

He kept his hood up, masking his face, hair, and anything that would have let me recognize him later.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

Related Words

• camouflage
• conceal
• cover-up
• hide
• obscure
• shield
• veil