Main Entry:

¹mask

Pronunciation:

\ˈmask\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle French masque, from Old Italian maschera

Date:

1534

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 mold2 a: something that serves to conceal or disguise : pretense, cloak <aware of the masks, facades and defenses people erect to protect themselves — 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)3 a: a protective covering for the face b: gas mask c: a device covering the mouth and nose to facilitate inhalation d: a comparable device to prevent exhalation of infective material e: a cosmetic preparation for the skin of the face that produces a tightening effect as it dries4 a: the head or face of an animal (as a fox or dog) b: an area (as the one around the eyes) of an animal's face that is distinguished by usually darker coloring