# masking

Pronunciation: US say "MASK-ing" /ˈmæskɪŋ/; UK say "MAHSK-ing" /ˈmɑːskɪŋ/

## Noun

1. The act of concealing or disguising something so that it stays hidden from view or notice.
   - Simple: The act of hiding or covering something so it cannot be seen or noticed.
   - _The masking of his true intentions behind a friendly smile fooled everyone._
   - _Painters rely on the masking of edges to keep stray paint off the trim._
2. The practice of wearing protective face masks, especially to reduce the spread of illness.
   - Simple: The habit of wearing a face mask to stay safe and healthy.
   - _Masking remained widespread on public transit long after the official mandate ended._
   - _Hospital staff continued masking throughout the outbreak._
4. A party or other entertainment where the guests wear masks to hide their faces.
   - Simple: A party where the guests hide their faces behind masks.
   - _The duke held a grand masking on the eve of the wedding._
   - _Guests arrived at the masking cloaked and hooded, their faces hidden._

## Verb

3. Present participle of mask. — present participle and gerund of mask
   - Simple: Present participle of mask. Use this form for something happening right now.
   - _The company was masking its losses behind clever accounting._
   - _By masking the smell, the cleaner made the room tolerable again._

## Origin

Formed within English from "mask" combined with the suffix "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/masking (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).