mask
1 of 2noun
ˈmask 
plural masks
1
a(1)
: a cover or partial cover for the face used for disguise
(2)
: a person wearing a mask : masker
b(1)
: a figure of a head worn on the stage in antiquity to identify the character and project the voice
(2)
: a grotesque false face worn at carnivals or in rituals
c
: an often grotesque carved head or face used as an ornament (as on a keystone)
d
: a sculptured face or a copy of a face made by means of a mold
2
a
: a protective covering for the face or part of the face
The hockey puck struck the goalie's mask.
a snorkel mask
see also ski mask b(1)
: a device usually covering the mouth and nose to facilitate delivery of a gas (such as a general anesthetic) see also oxygen mask
(2)
: a comparable device or a covering (as of polypropylene fiber or cotton fabric) to prevent inhalation of dangerous substances or to prevent the inhalation or dispersal of exhaled infectious material (such as bacteria or viruses) see also face mask, gas mask, procedure mask, surgical mask
c
or less commonly masque : a cosmetic preparation for the skin of the face that produces a tightening effect as it dries
3
a
: something that serves to conceal or disguise : pretense, cloak
aware of the masks, facades and defenses people erect to protect themselves
Kenneth Keniston
Kenneth Keniston b
: something that conceals from view
c
: a translucent or opaque screen to cover part of the sensitive surface in taking or printing a photograph
d
: a pattern of opaque material used to shield selected areas of a surface (as of a semiconductor) in deposition or etching (as in producing an integrated circuit) see also photomask
4
a
: the head or face of an animal (such as a fox or dog)
b
: an area (such as the one around the eyes) of an animal's face that is distinguished by usually darker coloring
mask
2 of 2verb
masked; masking; masks
transitive verb
1
: to provide or conceal (someone or something) with a mask: such as
a
: to conceal (something) from view
mask a gun battery
The entrance was masked by shrubs and flowers.
b
: to make (something) indistinct or imperceptible
masks undesirable flavors
mask the smell with a scented candle
[Dr. Joseph] Murray cautioned that people who go gluten-free to ease stomach problems may end up masking the symptoms of underlying conditions such as Crohn's disease, an immune disorder that affects the digestive tract. Kiera Butler
Kiera Butler c
: to hide or conceal (something, such as one's motives or feelings)
The excuse masked his real purpose.
… a practiced yet futile attempt to mask embarrassment or anger with a smile … David Remnick
David Remnick2
: to cover (the face or part of the face) with or as if with a mask
The low hood masked her eyes.
The leader masked his face with a scarf, her mother says, but she recognized the raspy voice of their neighbor … National Geographic
National Geographic3
: to cover (something) for protection
Painters frequently use tape to mask … adjacent surfaces such as walls or trim. Gwen Bruno
Gwen Bruno4
: to modify the size or shape of (something, such as a photograph) by means of an opaque border
intransitive verb
1
a
: to put on a mask : to cover the face with a mask
As workplaces reopen, employees must mask and wash hands frequently. Robert A. Weinstein and Cory Franklin
—often used with up Robert A. Weinstein and Cory Franklin On a recent weekend, we masked up and went for a bicycle ride in Tokyo. Motoko Rich and Noriko Hayashi
Motoko Rich and Noriko Hayashi b
: to disguise one's true character or intentions
2
: to take part in a masquerade
masklike
ˈmask-ˌlīk
adjective 
Synonyms
Noun
- vizard
Verb
- camouflage
- cloak
- disguise
- dress up
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun Everyone wore costumes and masks to the dance. Doctors wear surgical masks in the operating room. Verb The house was masked by trees. They tried to mask their real purpose. She tried using perfume to mask the bad odor.
Recent Examples on the Web Fox News, 19 Sep. 2022 Individual transit agencies in L.A. County could still choose to order their own mask mandates. Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2022 Over the course of that school year, 18 states and the District of Columbia issued mask mandates, while 11 tried to institute bans. New York Times, 8 Sep. 2022 Soto worried that while Echelson said the district may impose mask mandates on individual schools or classes in case of surges, there was no metric in place to determine when those would kick in. Christopher Huffaker, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 Major cities including Chicago and Atlanta dropped their mask mandates on their transportation systems. Michelle Kaske, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2022 But her campaign’s priorities mirror the organization’s, including advocating against mask mandates and doing away with critical race theory, already banned in Florida’s public schools. Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022 Hernandez-Mats advocated delaying students' return to school in the fall of 2020 and continuing mask mandates in 2021, in defiance of DeSantis' administration. Anthony Izaguirre, ajc, 27 Aug. 2022 Duval County was at the center of school district fights over mask mandates and more recently over how to implement DeSantis’s new parental rights laws. Lori Rozsa, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 Charlotte Germane, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2022 Scientists believe that some unstable thornless roses consist of regions of thornless epidural tissue that mask internal thorny tissues which remain genetically thorny. Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022 His techniques include asking people on a video call to pick up a random object and move it across their face, to bounce an object, to lift up and fold their shirt, to stroke their hair, or to mask part of their face with their hand. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2022 Fix that mask onto yourself and give yourself a break! Alex Wagner, SPIN, 1 Sep. 2022 When the world really moves past this pandemic, mask wearing even on longer flights will also reduce. Ben Baldanza, Forbes, 5 July 2022 But there are critical limitations in federal data that mask persistent inequities, experts say. Deidre Mcphillips, CNN, 16 June 2022 Free Real Coconut 48 HR Deodorant is a breezy blend of tropical notes, such as coconut, vanilla and jasmine, that mask intense odor and hydrate your skin. Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 June 2022 Veneers are false, porcelain teeth that mask a person’s original teeth. Brooklyn White, Essence, 30 Apr. 2022 See More
Noun
Others suggested the school district was trying to find any reason to prolong the mask mandates. Fox News, 19 Sep. 2022 Individual transit agencies in L.A. County could still choose to order their own mask mandates. Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2022 Over the course of that school year, 18 states and the District of Columbia issued mask mandates, while 11 tried to institute bans. New York Times, 8 Sep. 2022 Soto worried that while Echelson said the district may impose mask mandates on individual schools or classes in case of surges, there was no metric in place to determine when those would kick in. Christopher Huffaker, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 Major cities including Chicago and Atlanta dropped their mask mandates on their transportation systems. Michelle Kaske, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2022 But her campaign’s priorities mirror the organization’s, including advocating against mask mandates and doing away with critical race theory, already banned in Florida’s public schools. Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2022 Hernandez-Mats advocated delaying students' return to school in the fall of 2020 and continuing mask mandates in 2021, in defiance of DeSantis' administration. Anthony Izaguirre, ajc, 27 Aug. 2022 Duval County was at the center of school district fights over mask mandates and more recently over how to implement DeSantis’s new parental rights laws. Lori Rozsa, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 Verb
Another good planting strategy is to place your daffodil bulbs around perennials that will mask the dying bulb foliage in spring. Charlotte Germane, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2022 Scientists believe that some unstable thornless roses consist of regions of thornless epidural tissue that mask internal thorny tissues which remain genetically thorny. Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022 His techniques include asking people on a video call to pick up a random object and move it across their face, to bounce an object, to lift up and fold their shirt, to stroke their hair, or to mask part of their face with their hand. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2022 Fix that mask onto yourself and give yourself a break! Alex Wagner, SPIN, 1 Sep. 2022 When the world really moves past this pandemic, mask wearing even on longer flights will also reduce. Ben Baldanza, Forbes, 5 July 2022 But there are critical limitations in federal data that mask persistent inequities, experts say. Deidre Mcphillips, CNN, 16 June 2022 Free Real Coconut 48 HR Deodorant is a breezy blend of tropical notes, such as coconut, vanilla and jasmine, that mask intense odor and hydrate your skin. Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 June 2022 Veneers are false, porcelain teeth that mask a person’s original teeth. Brooklyn White, Essence, 30 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle French masque, from Old Italian maschera
First Known Use
Noun
circa 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
Verb
1539, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2
Phrases Containing mask
Kids Definition
mask 1 of 2
noun
ˈmask
1
: a cover for the face or part of the face used for disguise or protection
a Halloween mask
a catcher's mask
2
: something that disguises or conceals
She visited under a mask of friendship.
mask
2 of 2verb
masked; masking
: conceal, disguise
All that sheep aroma must've masked our scent … Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Medical Definition
mask 1 of 2
noun
ˈmask
1
: a protective covering for the face
2
a
: any of various devices that cover the mouth and nose and are used to prevent inhalation of dangerous substances, to facilitate delivery of a gas (as oxygen or a general anesthetic), or to prevent the dispersal of exhaled infectious material see gas mask, oxygen mask
3
: a cosmetic preparation for the skin of the face that produces a tightening effect as it dries
mask
2 of 2transitive verb
1
: to prevent (an atom or group of atoms) from showing its ordinary reactions
to mask hydroxyl in a sugar by converting it into methoxyl
2
: to modify or reduce the effect or activity of (as a process or a reaction)
3
: to make indistinct or imperceptible
flavorings used in pharmacy to mask the taste of medications
4
: to raise the audibility threshold of (a sound) by the simultaneous presentation of another sound
mask 1 of 2
noun
1
as in costume
a cover or partial cover for the face used to disguise oneself an elaborate mask that would be suitable for a fancy masquerade ball Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- costume
- vizard
- cloak
- disguise
- veil
- camouflage
- hood
- visor
- guise
- vizor
- domino
- bill
2
as in veil
something that covers or conceals like a piece of cloth his unexpected friendliness is just a mask, for he always has an ulterior motive Synonyms & Similar Words
- veil
- cloak
- shroud
- wraps
- blanket
- robe
- curtain
- hood
- mantle
- pall
- covering
- cover
- shield
- cope
- coverture
- disguise
- cover-up
- camouflage
- penumbra
- screen
- face
- blind
- facade
- veneer
- concealer
- varnish
- fig leaf
- façade
- gloss
- Potemkin village
- Trojan horse
mask
2 of 2verb
1
as in to disguise
to change the dress or looks of so as to conceal true identity the federal agents masked their surveillance vehicle so that it looked like an ordinary moving van Synonyms & Similar Words
- disguise
- camouflage
- cloak
- conceal
- hide
- masquerade
- simulate
- veil
- obscure
- cover
- curtain
- dress up
- shroud
- screen
- pose
- blanket
- blot out
- assume
- affect
- dissimulate
- sham
- pretend
- occult
- fake
- counterfeit
- feign
- play
- varnish
- enshroud
- act
- dissemble
- impersonate
- whitewash
- gild
- cosmeticize
- gloss (over)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unmask
- show
- display
- expose
- exhibit
- parade
- uncover
- reveal
- flaunt
- expose
- unveil
- disclose
- divulge
- bare
- uncloak
- discover
- unclothe
- betray
- undrape
2
as in to conceal
to keep secret or shut off from view masked his real motives for wanting to see the house that was for sale Synonyms & Similar Words
- conceal
- hide
- obscure
- disguise
- cover
- cloak
- veil
- curtain
- suppress
- shroud
- blanket
- screen
- blot out
- camouflage
- block
- paper over
- occult
- enshroud
- bury
- overshadow
- belie
- varnish
- shade
- smother
- whitewash
- cloud
- eclipse
- gild
- darken
- occlude
- obstruct
- overcast
- becloud
- gloss (over)
- cover (up)
- bedim
- befog
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- reveal
- show
- display
- expose
- disclose
- unmask
- divulge
- uncover
- present
- bare
- unveil
- bring out
- uncloak
- clarify
- illuminate
- air
- spread
- broadcast
- advertise
- publish
- proclaim
- publicize
- get out
Synonym Chooser
The words cloak and disguise are common synonyms of mask. While all three words mean "to alter the dress or appearance of so as to conceal the identity or true nature," mask suggests some often obvious means of hiding or disguising something.
smiling to mask his discontent
Although the words cloak and mask have much in common, cloak suggests a means of hiding a movement or an intention.
cloaked their maneuvers in secrecy
The words disguise and mask can be used in similar contexts, but disguise implies a change in appearance or behavior that misleads by presenting a different apparent identity.
disguised herself as a peasant