death mask

noun

: a cast taken from the face of a dead person

Examples of death mask in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The face, eerily reminiscent of Egyptian death masks or the metal face shields used in WWI, serves as both a personal relic and a universal symbol of mourning. Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025 The Chases are in the process of reconstructing the death mask and conducting DNA and stable isotope analysis of the skeleton. ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2025 Weaving together biological processes with intensely technological ones, the death mask is ham-fistedly framed as a site of new life. Kate Wagner, Curbed, 21 Oct. 2024 Excavators also found a mosaic death mask made of jadeite, along with jewelry made from the same type of gemstone. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for death mask

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of death mask was in 1838

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Cite this Entry

“Death mask.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20mask. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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