oxygen mask

American

noun

a masklike device placed or worn over the nose and mouth when inhaling supplementary oxygen from an attached tank.

oxygen mask British

noun

a device, worn over the nose and mouth, to which oxygen is supplied from a cylinder or other source: used to aid breathing

"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 oxygen mask

First recorded in 1915–20

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.

I don’t like to spout clichés, but you do have to put your own oxygen mask on first in this situation.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

Starting to feel confused and worried he might pass out, Tellman reached for his oxygen mask.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

Like they say on airplanes, put on your own oxygen mask before helping others with theirs.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

TV images showed Katoa being fitted with an oxygen mask and put on a stretcher.

From Barron's • Nov. 3, 2025

“Hey, Martin,” Fischer bantered through his oxygen mask, trying to affect a jocular tone.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

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