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death mask

American  

noun

  1. a cast taken of a person's face after death.


death mask British  

noun

  1. a cast of a person's face taken shortly after death Compare life mask

"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

Etymology

Origin of death mask

First recorded in 1875–80

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.

King Tut was famously discovered with his face sheathed in a gold death mask that weighed over 20 pounds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

His death mask is held at Moyse Hall and Norwich Castle.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2025

It appeared so lifelike that the effect was unsettling, as if I were looking at Bradford look at his own death mask.

From New York Times • Apr. 19, 2023

“She had the death mask of her mother.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2023

She couldn’t see it on his face, which was like a death mask: grim and lifeless with hollows for eyes.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

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