masque

American  

[mask, mahsk] / mæsk, mɑsk /

Or mask

noun

masques plural

1. a form of aristocratic entertainment in England in the 16th and 17th centuries, originally consisting of pantomime and dancing but later including dialogue and song, presented in elaborate productions given by amateur and professional actors.

2. a dramatic composition for such entertainment.

3. a masquerade; masked ball; revel.

4. mask.

---

masque British  

/ mɑːsk /

noun

1. a dramatic entertainment of the 16th to 17th centuries in England, consisting of pantomime, dancing, dialogue, and song, often performed at court

2. the words and music written for a masque

3. short for masquerade

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• masques
  plural

Etymology

Origin of masque

From Middle French, dating back to 1505–15; see origin at mask

Example Sentences

The House of Usher was released in 1960 and was followed by a string of others including The Raven, The Masque of the Red Death and The Tomb of Ligeia.

From BBC • May 12, 2024

I had landed in Srinagar that afternoon and now stood in deep woods alongside the Kashmiri chef Prateek Sadhu, who had come to forage sorrel, collards and dandelion greens for his Mumbai restaurant, Masque.

From New York Times • Sep. 29, 2022

In Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Masque of the Red Death," attendees of a festive ball held during a mysterious pestilence meet their doom.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2022

Was this photo taken at the Masque, the legendary short-lived club in Hollywood?

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2022

The Masque hath been going this half-hour," he said, in a low voice, "but His Highness hath withdrawn.

From House of Torment A Tale of the Remarkable Adventures of Mr. John Commendone, Gentleman to King Phillip II of Spain at the English Court by Gull, Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger