face shield

noun

plural face shields
: a protective covering for all or part of the face that is commonly made of clear plastic and is worn especially to prevent injury (as from impact, extreme temperature, or a dangerous substance) or to reduce the spread of transmissible disease
Infectious disease experts and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge people to wear cloth face coverings or plastic face shields in public to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.Nick Coltrain
The headbands are reusable with an interchangeable face shield, which greatly increases their utility versus a single-use disposable design.Edwin B. Smith
… no action was taken by the American Hockey Coaches Association regarding the matter of a three-quarters face shield for college hockey players. Thus, the full face mask requirement will remain in place for next season.John Connolly
If it's really cold, a snowmobile-style helmet with a face shield is your best bet.Tom Kaiser
Wash your hands frequently and use a cloth face shield to protect yourself and others from spreading the virus.Howard B. Owens

Examples of face shield in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Wearing a green no-contact jersey and a full face shield, Bedard participated in skating, passing and shooting drills at full speed in the team’s Tuesday morning skate. Matt Carlson, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2024 The two have been printing face shields around the clock out of Lane’s home, or rather, Curth’s car. Mitchel Bobo, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024 But before entering the otter’s enclosure, Hazan donned a tinted face shield, a black poncho and a pair of Kevlar gloves - an amorphous outfit meant to obscure the human form and ensure the youngster did not associate people with food. Dino Grandoni and Melina Mara, Anchorage Daily News, 11 Sep. 2023 The library’s 3-D printing Octavia Lab, named for Pasadena science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler, made protective face shields for hospitals in the early days of the pandemic. Donna Wares, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2023 The library’s futuristic 3D printing Octavia Lab, named for science fiction writer Octavia Butler, made protective face shields for hospitals in the early days of the pandemic. Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2023 Protective equipment including breathing masks, ear protection, face shields, hard hats, helmets, protective gloves, safety goggles, tool belts and more. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 28 July 2023 As Zephyr stood and held her microphone in the air, Regier ordered the gallery cleared, and police officers moved in with batons and face shields. Maggie Astor, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Apr. 2023 Barron returned to play in the second period, wearing a full face shield and sporting a bandage above his eye. Mike Brehm, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'face shield.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of face shield was in 1842

Dictionary Entries Near face shield

Cite this Entry

“Face shield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/face%20shield. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

face shield

noun
: a protective covering for all or part of the face that is commonly made of clear plastic and is worn especially to prevent injury (as from impact, extreme temperature, or a dangerous substance) or to reduce the spread of transmissible disease
The use of a full face shield compared with half face shield by intercollegiate ice hockey players significantly reduced the playing time lost because of concussion, suggesting that concussion severity may be reduced by the use of a full face shield.B. W. Benson et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine
… if a medical professional wearing a face shield is exposed to droplets when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes in front of the wearer's face, the large droplets may attach to the face shield's surface, thereby providing protection; however, small droplets may move with the airflow and be drawn in through the space between the wearer's face and the face shield.Fujio Akagi et al., Physics of Fluids
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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