mask

MASK/mæsk/UKMAHSK/mɑːsk/

Pluralmasks

Verbmasks, masking, masked

29 meanings of mask

Practice

1
covering (face)nouncountable
A covering you wear over your face to hide who you are or to keep it safe.
Like a shield, but for your face.
He wore a mask so no one would know who he was.
The doctor put on a mask before the operation.
UsagePut on a mask, and then you wear it.
Similardisguise, visor
Note
2
verbtransitive
To hide something, cover it up, or make it seem like something else so people do not notice it.
Like throwing a blanket over a mess so guests do not notice it.
She tried to mask her fear with a big smile.
Heavy curtains masked the room from outside view.
UsageSay mask your fear with a smile.
Similarhide, conceal, obscure, disguise, cover
Oppositereveal, expose, show
Note
3
verbtransitive
To put on or wear a mask over your face.
Like covering a box with a cloth so no one sees what is inside.
She masked her face before walking into the crowd.
Robbers often mask their faces with scarves.
Similarcover, veil, disguise
Oppositeunmask
4
false frontnouncountable
Something that hides the truth, such as a person's real feelings or plans.
Like a smile that hides how sad someone really feels.
His kindness was just a mask for his real plans.
Their charity work was a mask hiding years of fraud.
UsageSay his smile was a mask for sadness.
Similarfront, facade, cover, veneer, disguise
5
tape offverbtransitive
To cover part of a surface so that paint does not reach it.
Like covering a wall with tape before you paint near it.
She masked the edges before spraying the panel.
Always mask the trim so paint stays off it.
Similarcover, shield, protect
6
nounliterarycountable
The way something looks on the outside.
Like how snow can make a whole street look brand new.
At dawn the valley wore a soft mask of mist.
Winter gave the trees a white mask of frost.
UsageSay something wears a mask of mist.
Similarguise, semblance, appearance, aspect
Note

Less common meanings

7
hide autismverbintransitive
To hide your autism by acting in ways that seem more typical to other people.
Like always wearing a happy face so no one sees that you are tired.
Many autistic adults mask all day at work and feel exhausted by evening.
Some autistic children mask at school and then feel worn out at home.
Similarcamouflage
Note
8
frame cover (film)nouncountable
A flat cover used to block out a part of a picture or scene you do not want shown.
Like taping paper over part of a window so light comes through only where you want.
She put a black mask over the lens to block out the sky.
A black mask kept the edges of the frame out of view.
Similarmatte
Note
9
transparency mapnouncountable
A black, white, or gray image that shows which parts of a picture can be seen, hidden, or partly see-through.
Like a paper cutout that shows only the shape you want to keep.
The designer made a mask to cut the model out of the background.
Use a mask to keep the sky and remove the rest.
Similarmatte
Note
10
bit patternnouncountable
A set pattern of ones and zeros used to pick out or change parts of a number.
Like a sheet of paper with holes that lets paint through only in certain spots.
The programmer used a mask to read just the last four bits.
Apply a mask to clear the flags you no longer need.
Similarbitmask
Note
11
carved facenouncountable
A carved face or head used to decorate buildings or to spout water in a fountain.
Like a face carved into a wall to decorate a building.
A stone mask glared down from the keystone above the doorway.
Water poured from the open mouth of the mask in the courtyard fountain.
Note
12
verbintransitive
To wear a mask or disguise, for example at a costume party.
Like dressing up for a costume party where everyone hides their face.
They love to mask at the winter carnival every year.
Guests mask and dance until midnight at the grand ball.
Similarmasquerade
Note
13
verbtransitive
In computing, to turn certain bits on or off using a pattern, for example to switch off a signal.
Like coloring in only certain squares on a grid and leaving the rest blank.
The code masks the upper bits to keep only the lower eight.
You can mask the flag bits to reset them quickly.
Note
14
nounobsolete
An old kind of play in which actors wore masks and acted out myths or symbols.
Note
15
nounarchaic
A person who has a mask on their face.
the mask that has the arm of the Indian queen
1880, George Washington Cable, The Grandissimes: A Story of Creole Life
16
nounarchaic
A party where everyone wears masks and dances for fun.
This thought might lead me through the world's vain mask.
1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost
17
verb
To block or hold back an enemy force so that it cannot act.
18
noun
A screen or cover that hides a group of guns from the enemy.
19
noun
A small strong point built to protect the covered passage that crosses a fort's ditch.
20
noun
The lower lip of a young dragonfly, changed into a grabbing arm for catching prey.
21
noun
A fox's head shown from the front, cut off just behind the ears.
22
noundialectal
One of the holes in a net, or a net itself.
23
noundialectalUK
A mix of crushed grain and hot water used in brewing.
24
verbdialectalUK
To crush or mix grain or malt with hot water.
25
verbdialectalUK
To soak malt in hot water when making beer.
26
verbdialectalCumbriaDurhamGeordieNorthumbriaScotland
For tea, to sit in hot water until it is ready.
27
verbdialectalCumbriaDurhamGeordieNorthumbriaScotlandUK
To make a pot of tea.
28
verbdialectalNorthern EnglandScotland
For the sky, to get ready for a storm.
The whislin' key hole o the door / Fou plainly tells a storm is maskin'.
1900, J. Milne, Poems
29
verbdialectalUK
To make someone mixed up.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of mask apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It came through Middle French masque and Italian maschera, and further back perhaps from a Germanic word linked to English 'mesh'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

English mask came through Middle French masque and Italian maschera. en.wikipedia.org