face mask

American  

Or facemask

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of face mask

First recorded in 1905–10; face + mask

Example Sentences

Bucknor’s nightmare week continued when he left a game after a foul tip hit him in the face mask.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

During the removal process, she wore a face mask connected to a rolling cart of the laughing gas and oxygen tanks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

The manager said she had looked online for pictures of him but could only make out Mr Mangione's eyebrows as he ate in the restaurant, since he wore a hat and face mask.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2025

People with symptoms who need to leave the house "should wear a face mask where possible, wash your hands regularly and use dispose of tissues hygienically."

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2025

Hammie sidles up beside me as we go, taking off her face mask and folding it away in her purse.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu