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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• unmasking adjective

Etymology

Origin of masking

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

Example Sentences

That kind of market broadening is often viewed as a bullish signal—but the rotation turned violent in February, with muted moves in broader indexes sometimes masking sharper moves beneath the surface.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 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

Lena, Hannah, and I have made a huge pile of buckets, garbage bags, masking tape, and drop cloths in the main office.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

Related Words

• cloak
• disguise
• mask
• veil