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

A video of Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., looking on with a mask of utter horror quickly circulated online.

From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026

At the same time, strong gains for AI-linked stocks have helped to mask much of this pain.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

S&P raised its baseline projection for Asia’s 2026 gross domestic product growth to 4.6%, but noted that projections for strong growth this year and next don’t mask the challenges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

But All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr. let the mask slip a bit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

Jessica Feeney’s face, the first thing everyone looked at, was like a mask.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

Surgical masks were their only shield against the toxic smoke in which they battled for hours.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

The eight-piece group, known for performing in masks, will be joined by the US rock musician during their shows at London's Wembley Stadium and multiple dates of the South American leg of the tour.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

Occasionally, men in dark clothing, masks and sunglasses monitored and filmed the scene.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Cole said many African art collectors favor figures and masks rather than the utilitarian and nontraditional objects Wolfe pursued.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

To prevent the virus from spreading, the library where Elizebeth worked had shut down for four weeks, and people were required to wear masks in public places.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

In Prime Video’s “Spider-Noir,” he played Ben Reilly, a hapless and jaded private eye who used to moonlight as a masked vigilante known as the Spider until the love of his life was murdered.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Others told BBC Punjabi of seeing masked or unfamiliar people inside the university.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

He sat directly in front of me, surrounded by several of the masked men who had now taken off their balaclavas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Later on in the night, he performed the song alongside two dancing, masked luchadors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

The masked man pulled the hose over to the center rat hole and pressed the plunger over it, covering it completely.

From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien

Last weekend, a "Saturday Night Live" sketch cast him as a tortured figure, barely masking his dread of AI.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

“It’s really masking what is a quite obvious correction. If you’re a stock picker, or you own anything besides a few select tech names, it can be a big problem.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

In the second, those shocks are masking deeper imbalances: Demand is outstripping supply and letting businesses make price increases stick.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

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

Jerry wished he could be as strong as his father, always in control, masking his sorrow and grief.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

Related Words

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