gas mask

American

noun

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

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

"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 gas mask

First recorded in 1910–15

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.

See Examples For:

gas mask

Three-year-old Agatha Acker, in a cute gingham outfit and gas mask, brought along her doll, Betty Lou, also tricked out in a pretty dress, and a gas mask.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

While preparing for an interview for the “Smoglandia” podcast, she obligingly went looking through her things and, sure enough, found her gas mask.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

In an incredible moment of valour, within the chaos and madness, Laidlaw tore off his own gas mask, climbed up on the parapet and started playing the pipes.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 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

It seemed a miracle that it could obscure my vision but not cause me to choke: The gas mask worked.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023