Showing results for "mask"

• a variation of masque.

mask

American  

[mask, mahsk] / mæsk, mɑsk /

noun

masks plural

1. a covering for all or part of the face, worn to conceal one's identity.

2. a grotesque or humorous false face worn at a carnival, masquerade, etc..

   Halloween masks.

3. Also called swim mask.  a device consisting typically of a transparent glass or plastic panel fitted into a flexible rubber gasket that fits snugly around the eyes, over the cheeks, and usually over the nose: used by skin divers.

4. anything that disguises or conceals; disguise; pretense.

   His politeness is a mask for his fundamentally malicious personality.

5. a likeness of a face, as one molded on the face in plaster.

6. a covering of wire, gauze, etc., to protect the face, as from splinters, dust, or a pitched ball.

7. gas mask.

8. any protective covering for the face or head.

9. any protective covering, as paper, cardboard, plastic, or the like, used for masking an area of something, as of a photograph or window.

10. the dark shading on the muzzle of certain dogs.

11. a representation of a face or head, generally grotesque, used as an architectural ornament or as a decorative device in weaponry, furniture, etc.

12. a person wearing a mask; masker.

13. masque.

14. Also a cosmetic cream, gel, paste, or the like, that is applied to the face and allowed to remain for a short time before being removed and is used for tightening, cleansing, refreshing, or lubricating the skin.

15. a piece of cloth, silk, or plastic material covering the face of an actor to symbolize the character being represented: used in Greek and Roman drama and in some modern plays.

16. the face or head, as of a fox.

17. Electronics. a type of stencil applied to the surface of a semiconductor to permit selective etching or deposition: used in the manufacture of integrated circuits by photolithography.

18. Fortification. a screen, as of earth or brush, for concealing or protecting a battery or any military operation.

19. Also called braker.  Shipbuilding. a sliding timber construction braced against the stern of a hull being launched to keep it from entering the water too rapidly.

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verb (used with object)

masks, present (3rd person singular) masked, past participle, past masking present participle

1. to disguise or conceal; hide; dissemble.

   to mask one's intentions.

   Synonyms:

   cover, cloak, screen, veil

2. to cover or conceal with a mask.

3. to cover or shield a part of (a design, picture, etc.) in order to prevent reproduction or to protect the surface from the colors used, as in working with an air brush or in painting.

4. Fortification. to conceal (a battery or any military operation) from the enemy.

5. to hinder, as an army, from conducting an operation.

verb (used without object)

masks, present (3rd person singular) masked, past participle, past masking present participle

1. to put on a mask; disguise oneself.

mask British  

/ mɑːsk /

noun

1. any covering for the whole or a part of the face worn for amusement, protection, disguise, etc

2. a fact, action, etc, that conceals something

   his talk was a mask for his ignorance

3. another name for masquerade

4. a likeness of a face or head, either sculpted or moulded, such as a death mask

5. an image of a face worn by an actor, esp in ancient Greek and Roman drama, in order to symbolize the character being portrayed

6. a variant spelling of masque

7. surgery a sterile gauze covering for the nose and mouth worn esp during operations to minimize the spread of germs

8. sport a protective covering for the face worn for fencing, ice hockey, etc

9. a carving in the form of a face or head, used as an ornament

10. a natural land feature or artificial object which conceals troops, etc, from view

11. a device placed over the nose and mouth to facilitate or prevent inhalation of a gas

12. photog a shield of paper, paint, etc, placed over an area of unexposed photographic surface to stop light falling on it

13. electronics a thin sheet of material from which a pattern has been cut, placed over a semiconductor chip so that an integrated circuit can be formed on the exposed areas

14. computing a bit pattern which, by convolution with a second pattern in a logical operation, can be used to isolate a specific subset of the second pattern for examination

15. entomol a large prehensile mouthpart (labium) of the dragonfly larva

16. the face or head of an animal, such as a fox, or the dark coloration of the face of some animals, such as Siamese cats and certain dogs

17. another word for face pack

18. rare a person wearing a mask

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verb

1. to cover with or put on a mask

2. (tr) to conceal; disguise

   to mask an odour

3. (tr) photog to shield a particular area of (an unexposed photographic surface) in order to prevent or reduce the action of light there

4. (tr) to shield a particular area of (a surface to be painted) with masking tape

5. (tr) to cover (cooked food, esp meat) with a savoury sauce or glaze

6. a Scottish variant of mash

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• masklike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• masks
  plural

Participles

• masking
  present
• masked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• mask
  simple
• masks
  simple
• have masked
  perfect
• has masked
  perfect
• am masking
  progressive
• are masking
  progressive
• is masking
  progressive
• have been masking
  perfect progressive
• has been masking
  perfect progressive

Past

• masked
  simple
• had masked
  perfect
• was masking
  progressive
• were masking
  progressive
• had been masking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will mask
  simple
• will have masked
  perfect
• will be masking
  progressive
• will have been masking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of mask

First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French masque, perhaps directly from Italian maschera “mask, disguise,” from unattested pre-Latin maskara, an extended form of unattested mask-, probably with the original sense “black” (blackening the face being a simple form of disguise); another development of the same base is early Medieval Latin masca “witch, ghost” (also, “mask”); see mascot

Explanation

A mask is a disguise that covers just your face. Your Halloween costume might include a scary monster mask and a furry suit with a tail, or maybe you just wear that for fun. You can wear a mask to conceal your identity, to dress up as a character for a party or holiday, to scare someone, or to make someone laugh. Robbers sometimes wear masks so they can't be identified, and an actor might wear a mask while playing the role of a rabbit in a play. Other masks are useful, including masks that protect patients from germs and masks that keep skiers' faces warm.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mask masks masked masking

She’ll go for a 30-minute walk outside wearing a weighted vest, UV protectant facial mask and sun hat, then spend another 30 in her home gym.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

In another clip obtained by The Times, one individual with a Spider-Man mask was seen climbing a traffic light before leading the crowd in a chant: “USA, USA, USA.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026

Unfortunately, the trustees’ “offsetting” assumptions mask the full impact of their important changes.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

The paper offers a free mask cutout of Burnham's face.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

“So he saw that Chet was distracted and sneaked his mask out of his pocket so he’d have a mask alibi—not to mention the cool special-edition mask he wanted,” Frank finished.

From "A Monster of a Mystery (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #5)" by Franklin W. Dixon

"The masks dropped and there was a strong smell. The head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window. Fortunately, he hadn't taken off his seat belt."

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

"The masks dropped and there was a strong smell. The head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window. Fortunately, he hadn't taken off his seat belt."

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

It’s not uncommon for ICE agents to use unmarked cars and wear masks as they attempt arrests, and advocacy groups say the tactic means people often aren’t aware that it’s federal agents detaining them.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

They said Lineage worked closely with the Fire Department during the blaze and delivered masks, air purifiers and other supplies to the community, and will work to ensure the fastest cleanup possible.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

They were lugging the five heavy books the ranger had given Neel, and Baba was also carrying their decoy masks and his long, sturdy stick.

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins

And despite what those masked men might believe, every one of us has a role in shaping its next chapter.

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026

That spread is a warning sign that market risk is masked by stock-level volatility, and just because the S&P 500 is near its all-time highs doesn’t mean all is calm.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

Zorro, the masked vigilante of Old California, was created in 1919 by pulp writer Johnston McCulley and seems to hit the American screen about once a generation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Still, that is higher than May’s 4.3% national unemployment rate, and it masked some weakness in the local economy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

In the light of the full moon, the shock and hurt on her masked face hit me like a blow to the chest.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

VPNs help by masking IPs and encrypting traffic, making monitoring harder.

From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026

But they have also bought from neighboring countries that are masking Sudanese gum as local, traders say.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026

“Almost every week, there are different companies that come to us …masking if we have compute that they could buy from us at some premium,” Zuckerberg said on Wednesday at Meta’s annual investor meeting.

From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026

She also pointed out that the focus on the 18-week target was masking the fact that several other waiting lists continue to grow, suggesting the government should re-think is narrow focus on this particular target.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

A pin on her shirt says Legendary Gra with Auntie Bernadette written on masking tape over the rest.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• camouflage
• conceal
• cover-up
• hide
• obscure
• shield
• veil