masking

[ mas-king, mah-sking ]

/ ˈmæs kɪŋ, ˈmɑ skɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR masking ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Psychology. obscuring, partially or completely, one sensory process by another, as the dulling of the sense of taste by smoking.

Nearby words

masked ball, masked gout, masked virus, masker, maskil, masking, masking frame, masking piece, masking tape, maskinonge, maslin

Origin of masking

First recorded in 1920–25; mask + -ing¹, -ing²

Related forms

un·mask·ing, adjective

Definition for masking (2 of 2)

mask

[ mask, mahsk ]

/ mæsk, mɑsk /

noun

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

a grotesque or humorous false face worn at a carnival, masquerade, etc.: Halloween masks.

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.

anything that disguises or conceals; disguise; pretense: His politeness is a mask for his fundamentally malicious personality.

a likeness of a face, as one molded on the face in plaster.Compare death mask, life mask.

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

gas mask.

any protective covering for the face or head.

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

the dark shading on the muzzle of certain dogs.

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

a person wearing a mask; masker.

masque(defs 1–3).

Also masque. 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.

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.

the face or head, as of a fox.

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.

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

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.

verb (used with object)

to disguise or conceal; hide; dissemble: to mask one's intentions.

to cover or conceal with a mask.

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.

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

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

verb (used without object)

to put on a mask; disguise oneself.

Origin of mask

1525–35; < Middle French masque, perhaps directly < Italian maschera mask, disguise < pre-Latin *maskara, an extended form of *mask-, probably with orig. 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

SYNONYMS FOR mask

20 veil, screen, cloak, cover.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mask ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

mask·like, adjective

Can be confused

mask masque mosque

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for masking

Part of the alias and the disguise is masking racism with the mechanisms of large, diverse institutions.
How We Got to Ferguson—a Reading List|David Masciotra|August 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I know from her students that the masking tape incident involved little more than hilarity.
A Letter of Thanks to Michelle Rhee|Dmitri Mehlhorn|August 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The scenes of penetration are obscured with masking or blurring.
Japan’s Desperate Housewives Opting for Adulterous Online Dating|Angela Erika Kubo, Jake Adelstein|April 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I tried to find people that were really enthusiastic about dressing up and masking,” she says.
A Doll’s Life: Laurie Simmons Explores Kigurumi|Ann Binlot|March 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“There are modern techniques for masking the walls,” he says.
Turkish Islamism Meets Europe's Artistic Heritage|David Frum|May 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
With every intimate and silent throb of warning she shivered, responsive, masking her growing uncertainty with words.
The Firing Line|Robert W. Chambers
It was plain now even to me that she was masking them in a mood of lightness.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
Then he sat down on the edge, masking his concern with a smile which obtained no response from the dreamy immobility of her eyes.
Victory|Joseph Conrad
Men might be fooled by the masking invisibility, but there was no deceiving a dog's keen nose!
The Radiant Shell|Paul Ernst
At Chatalja the trenches were masked with the stalks of the Turkish tobacco plants—about the only instance I saw of masking.
The Balkan Peninsula|Frank Fox

British Dictionary definitions for masking (1 of 2)

masking

/ (ˈmɑːskɪŋ) /

noun

the act or practice of masking

psychol the process by which a stimulus (usually visual or auditory) is obscured by the presence of another almost simultaneous stimulus

British Dictionary definitions for masking (2 of 2)

mask

/ (mɑːsk) /

noun

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

a fact, action, etc, that conceals somethinghis talk was a mask for his ignorance

another name for masquerade

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

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

a variant spelling of masque

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

another word for face pack

rare a person wearing a mask

verb

to cover with or put on a mask

(tr) to conceal; disguiseto mask an odour

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

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

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

a Scottish variant of mash (def. 8)

Derived Forms

masklike, adjective

Word Origin for mask

C16: from Italian maschera, ultimately from Arabic maskharah clown, from sakhira mockery

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

Medicine definitions for masking (1 of 2)

masking

[ măs′kĭng ]

n.

The concealment or the screening of one sensory process or sensation by another.

An opaque covering used to camouflage the metal parts of a prosthesis.

Medicine definitions for masking (2 of 2)

mask

[ măsk ]

n.

A covering for the nose and mouth that is used for inhaling oxygen or an anesthetic.

A covering worn over the nose and mouth, as by a surgeon or dentist, to prevent infection.

A facial bandage.

Something, often a trait, that disguises or conceals.

Any of a variety of conditions producing alteration or discoloration of the skin of the face.

An expressionless appearance of the face seen in certain diseases, such as Parkinsonism.

v.

To cover with a protective mask.

To cover in order to conceal, protect, or disguise.

masking

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of masking

Related forms

Definition for masking (2 of 2)

mask

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of mask

SYNONYMS FOR mask

Related forms

Can be confused

Examples from the Web for masking

British Dictionary definitions for masking (1 of 2)

masking

noun

British Dictionary definitions for masking (2 of 2)

mask

noun

verb

Derived Forms

Word Origin for mask

Medicine definitions for masking (1 of 2)

masking

n.

Medicine definitions for masking (2 of 2)

mask

n.

v.