masque
or mask
[mask, mahsk]
noun
a form of aristocratic entertainment in England in the 16th and 17th centuries, originally consisting of pantomime and dancing but later including dialogue and song, presented in elaborate productions given by amateur and professional actors.
a dramatic composition for such entertainment.
a masquerade; masked ball; revel.
RELATED WORDS
Origin of masque
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for masque
Contemporary Examples of masque
Masque of the Red Death was the second-to-last Poe film I made.
Roger Corman: My Nine Most Memorable Films, From ‘The Trip’ to ‘Battle Beyond the Stars’Roger Corman
December 16, 2011
V.S. Naipaul's new book, The Masque of Africa, has not been well received by critics.
Historical Examples of masque
For himself, he has played and played and played, at the 'Masque,' till even I bade him stop.
The GeniusMargaret Horton Potter
"There is going to be a night masque, and a mock combat at the Louvre," the man said.
Saint Bartholomew's EveG. A. Henty
Somehow he had not seen the real story, but some game or masque.
The Innocence of Father BrownG. K. Chesterton
It is a masque of the gods, and not a ballad like the Winning of Thor's Hammer.
Epic and RomanceW. P. Ker
We have given a few in the case of the masque and the 'Midsummer Night's Dream.'
The Valet's Tragedy and Other StoriesAndrew Lang
masque
mask
noun
Word Origin for masque
C16: variant of mask
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper