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masking

American  
[mas-king, mah-sking] / ˈmæs kɪŋ, ˈmɑ skɪŋ /

noun

  1. backing.

  2. Psychology. obscuring, partially or completely, one sensory process by another, as the dulling of the sense of taste by smoking.

masking British  
/ ˈmɑːskɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act or practice of masking

  2. psychol the process by which a stimulus (usually visual or auditory) is obscured by the presence of another almost simultaneous stimulus

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • unmasking adjective

Etymology

Origin of masking

First recorded in 1920–25; mask + -ing 1, -ing 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Davis and Head make strong impressions, masking the pedestrian, sometimes cornball dialogue.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

"I do think that we risk masking the true gravity of the principle that this particular piece of legislation supports."

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

That aggregate strength, he said, is masking uneven experiences.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

Instead, researchers could only determine an average energy loss rate, masking the true and often unstable behavior of the qubit.

From Science Daily • Feb. 20, 2026

The lid with its slot cut into the top was taped with many rounds of masking tape to the glass.

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.