face mask

American  

Or facemask

noun

• face masks
  plural

1. Sports. the protective equipment, usually made of steel or plastic, that guards the face, as the steel cage worn by a baseball catcher or the molded plastic covering worn by a hockey goalkeeper.

2. any of various similar devices to shield the face, sometimes attached to or forming part of a helmet, as that worn by workers engaged in a hazardous activity.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• face masks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of face mask

First recorded in 1905–10; face + mask

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

face mask

Brown, 37, who wore a black face mask, sunglasses and black baseball cap when he arrived at Southwark Crown Court in London, had admitted to affray at an appearance in July.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

The “Fearsome White” uniform features a helmet that includes white horns and a white face mask.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

The group of departees includes Bucknor, who has been sidelined since he was struck in the face mask by a foul ball on April 1.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

McLelland is such a fan, she also has an LED face mask.

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

He dipped right, and tried to flick the puck to the corner above my opposite shoulder, but I snapped my head and blocked it off my face mask.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

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