mask

noun

/mɑːsk/

/mæsk/

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something that you wear over your face to hide it, or to frighten or entertain other people
- The robbers wore stocking masks.
- The kids were all wearing animal masks.
- In the second part of the play, the actors take off their masks.
Extra Examples
- The man's face was hidden by a mask.
- Two eyes glared at him from beneath the mask.
- two men in black masks
Topics Medicinec1, Sports: water sportsc1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- face
- facial
- full-face
- …
verb + mask
- have on
- wear
- don
- …
mask + verb
- conceal something
- cover something
- hide something
- …
preposition
- behind a/the mask
- beneath a/the mask
- in a/the mask
- …
See full entry
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something that you wear over part or all of your face in order to protect it
- a surgical/gas mask
- a fencing mask
see also gas mask, oxygen mask
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- face
- facial
- full-face
- …
verb + mask
- have on
- wear
- don
- …
mask + verb
- conceal something
- cover something
- hide something
- …
preposition
- behind a/the mask
- beneath a/the mask
- in a/the mask
- …
See full entry
a thick cream made of various substances that you put on your face and neck in order to improve the quality of your skin
- a face mask
Topics Appearancec2
[usually singular] a manner or an expression that hides your true character or feelings
- He longed to throw off the mask of respectability.
- Her face was a cold, blank mask.
Extra Examples
- For a moment her mask slipped, and I saw how scared she really was.
- He was hiding behind a mask of indifference but she wasn't fooled.
- His fooling around is a mask for his lack of confidence.
- He looked at me, his face a mask of innocence.
- The mask of politeness slipped for a moment.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- blank
- cold
- emotionless
- …
mask + verb
- slip
preposition
- behind a/the mask
- mask for
phrases
- a mask of indifference
See full entry

mask

verb

/mɑːsk/

/mæsk/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they mask	/mɑːsk/ /mæsk/
he / she / it masks	/mɑːsks/ /mæsks/
past simple masked	/mɑːskt/ /mæskt/
past participle masked	/mɑːskt/ /mæskt/
-ing form masking	/ˈmɑːskɪŋ/ /ˈmæskɪŋ/

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mask something to hide a feeling, smell, fact, etc. so that it cannot be easily seen or noticed synonym disguise, veil
- She masked her anger with a smile.
Synonyms hide
hide
- conceal
- cover
- disguise
- mask
- camouflage
These words all mean to put or keep somebody/something in a place where they/it cannot be seen or found, or to keep the truth or your feelings secret.
- hide to put or keep somebody/something in a place where they/it cannot be seen or found; to keep something secret, especially your feelings:
  He hid the letter in a drawer.
  She managed to hide her disappointment.
- conceal (formal) to hide somebody/something; to keep something secret:
  The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster.
  Tim could barely conceal his disappointment.
  When it is being used to talk about emotions, conceal is often used in negative statements.
- cover to place something over or in front of something in order to hide it:
  She covered her face with her hands.
- disguise to hide or change the nature of something, so that it cannot be recognized:
  He tried to disguise his accent.
- mask to hide a feeling, smell, fact, etc. so that it cannot be easily seen or noticed:
  She masked her anger with a smile.
- camouflage to hide somebody/something by making them/it look like the things around, or like something else:
  The soldiers camouflaged themselves with leaves and twigs.
Patterns
- to hide/conceal/disguise/mask something behind something
- to hide/conceal something under something
- to hide/conceal something from somebody
- to hide/conceal/disguise/mask the truth/the fact that…
- to hide/conceal/disguise/mask your feelings
Extra Examples
- Varnish tends to mask the natural grain of the wood.
- Spices were used to mask the unpleasant taste of the meat.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- completely
- not quite
- partially
- …
verb + mask
- tend to
preposition
- with
See full entry
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from French masque, from Italian maschera, mascara, probably from medieval Latin masca ‘witch, spectre’, but influenced by Arabic mask̲ara ‘buffoon’.