definitions

unmask

[ uhn-mask, -mahsk ]
/ ʌnˈmæsk, -ˈmɑsk /
|

verb (used with object)

to strip a mask or disguise from.
to reveal the true character of; disclose; expose.
Military. to reveal the presence of (guns) by firing.

verb (used without object)

to put off one's mask; appear in true nature.

RELATED CONTENT

Why Exposure Is Our 2014 Word Of The YearIn 2014, the Ebola virus, widespread theft of personal information, and shocking acts of violence and brutality dominated the news. Vulnerability and visibility were at the core of the year’s most notable headlines. Encapsulating those themes, Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year for 2014 is exposure. The word exposure entered English in the early 1600s to refer to a state of being without shelter or protection. …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

uncover, expose, disclose, exhibit, show, leak, confess, acknowledge, divulge, unveil, admit, display, bare, unearth, unclothe, announce, tell

Nearby words

unmanned, unmannered, unmannerly, unmarked, unmarried, unmask, unmatched, unmeaning, unmeaningful, unmeant, unmeasured

Origin of unmask

First recorded in 1580–90; un-2 + mask

Related forms

un·mask·er, noun

Definition for unmasked (2 of 2)

masked

[ maskt, mahskt ]
/ mæskt, mɑskt /

adjective

using or wearing a mask or masks: a masked burglar; masked actors.
disguised; concealed; hidden: masked treachery; masked forces.
Botany. personate2(def 1).
Zoology. having markings that resemble a mask.

Origin of masked

First recorded in 1575–85; mask + -ed3

Related forms

un·masked, adjectivewell-masked, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unmasked

British Dictionary definitions for unmasked (1 of 2)

masked

/ (mɑːskt) /

adjective

disguised or covered by or as if by a mask
botany another word for personate 2

British Dictionary definitions for unmasked (2 of 2)

unmask

/ (ʌnˈmɑːsk) /

verb

to remove (the mask or disguise) from (someone or oneself)
to appear or cause to appear in true character
(tr) military to make evident the presence of (weapons), either by firing or by the removal of camouflage, etc

Derived Forms

unmasker, noun
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 unmasked

masked

[ măskt ]

adj.

Latent or hidden, as a symptom or disease.
Having masklike markings on the head or face.
Having the anatomy of the next developmental form outlined beneath the integument, as in certain insect pupae.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.