masque

or mask

[ mask, mahsk ]

noun

1. 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.
2. a dramatic composition for such entertainment.
3. a masquerade; masked ball; revel.
4. mask ( def 14 ).

masque

/ mɑːsk /

noun

1. a dramatic entertainment of the 16th to 17th centuries in England, consisting of pantomime, dancing, dialogue, and song, often performed at court
2. the words and music written for a masque
3. See masquerade
   short for masquerade

Word History and Origins

Origin of masque¹

From Middle French, dating back to 1505–15; mask

Word History and Origins

Origin of masque¹

C16: variant of mask

Example Sentences

In nearby San Francisco, moviegoers packed sold-out theaters “en masse and also en masque,” as the San Francisco Chronicle put it.

From Time

Masque of the Red Death was the second-to-last Poe film I made.

From The Daily Beast

V.S. Naipaul's new book, The Masque of Africa, has not been well received by critics.

From The Daily Beast

No doubt this was due to the nature of the media in which he mainly worked, the masque and the 138 song-book.

From Project Gutenberg

The lovely "nocturne" of the evening plain had passed into a Vision or Masque of Force that captured the mind.

From Project Gutenberg

It is needless to add, that they were young ladies habited as peasants, and that there was a masque at the chateau.

From Project Gutenberg

He made his Masque what it ought to be, essentially lyrical, and dramatic only in semblance.

From Project Gutenberg

This dance or “masque proper,” often elaborated into several measures, came near the end of the show.

From Project Gutenberg