gas mask

American  

noun

1. a masklike device containing or attached to a component that filters the air inhaled by the wearer through charcoal and chemicals, for protecting the face and lungs against noxious gases and fumes, as in warfare or in certain industrial processes.

---

gas mask British  

noun

1. Also called (in Britain): respirator.  a mask fitted with a chemical filter to enable the wearer to breathe air free of poisonous or corrosive gases: used for military or industrial purposes

---

Etymology

Origin of gas mask

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

A man wearing all black and a gas mask was tackled and pushed to the ground by police before he was handcuffed and taken away.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2025

He also keeps a gas mask, helmet and body armor on hand, he said, just in case.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 5, 2025

The bill, like the state-level bills, includes some exceptions for instances when officers might use a gas mask or are engaged in non-public operations.

From Salon • Jul. 19, 2025

In the crush of events, someone shoved a gas mask into Armstrong’s hands and pulled her to safety.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 13, 2025

The window was open, my bed was made up with blankets and my things hung on the wall, the gas mask in an oblong tin can, the steel helmet on the same peg.

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway