noise masking

American  

noun

1. the use of noise to cancel out another sound, as with a white noise machine.

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Example Sentences

To tell you the truth, I couldn’t find much difference between many of the Noise Masking and Naturescapes sounds, especially since the former uses several nature sounds, such as a campfire or a breeze blowing.

From The Verge

Image: Bose Like the first time around, $250 feels rather expensive for a product this niche, but Bose says it has put a painstaking amount of research and engineering into the Sleepbuds II. “Bose Sleepbuds II use advancements in our proprietary noise masking technology because covering sound — not canceling it — is better for sleeping,” Steve Romine, head of Bose’s health division, said in today’s press release.

From The Verge

Other causes for the decline of the southern residents, which frequent Puget Sound, include noise masking their ability to hunt as well as pollution.

From Seattle Times

Noise masking involves playing a background noise that helps your brain stop paying attention to unwanted sounds.

From New York Times

They did this while exposed to typical office sounds: one office had "white noise" masking workplace chatter and other noise; another had the "natural" masking that mimicked the sound of a mountain stream; while a third had no masking.

From US News