mask (masks plural & 3rd person present) (masking present participle) (masked past tense & past participle )
1 n-count A mask is a piece of cloth or other material, which you wear over your face so that people cannot see who you are, or so that you look like someone or something else.
The gunman, whose mask had slipped, fled., ...actors wearing masks.
2 n-count A mask is a piece of cloth or other material that you wear over all or part of your face to protect you from germs or harmful substances.
oft supp N
You must wear goggles and a mask that will protect you against the fumes...
3 n-count If you describe someone's behaviour as a mask, you mean that they do not show their real feelings or character.
oft N of n
His mask of detachment cracked, and she saw for an instant an angry and violent man.
4 n-count A mask is a thick cream or paste made of various substances, which you spread over your face and leave for some time in order to improve your skin.
This mask leaves your complexion feeling soft and supple.
5 verb If you mask your feelings, you deliberately do not show them in your behaviour, so that people cannot know what you really feel.
(=conceal, hide)
Dena lit a cigarette, trying to mask her agitation. V n
6 verb If one thing masks another, it prevents people from noticing or recognizing the other thing.
Too much salt masks the true flavour of the food... V n
7 →
death mask →
gas mask →
oxygen mask
death mask (death masks plural ), death-mask A death mask is a model of someone's face, which is made from a mould that was taken of their face soon after they died. n-count
face mask (face masks plural )
1 n-count A face mask is a device that you wear over your face, for example to prevent yourself from breathing bad air or from spreading germs, or to protect your face when you are in a dangerous situation.
2 n-count A face mask is the same as a face pack.
(mainly AM)
gas mask (gas masks plural )A gas mask is a device that you wear over your face in order to protect yourself from poisonous gases. n-count
oxygen mask (oxygen masks plural )An oxygen mask is a device that is connected to a cylinder of oxygen by means of a tube. It is placed over the nose and mouth of someone who is having difficulty in breathing in order to help them breath more easily. n-count