mask (m?sk)n.1. A covering worn on the face to conceal one’s identity, as:a. A covering, as of cloth, that has openings for the eyes, entirely or partly conceals the face, and is worn especially at a masquerade ball.b. A grotesque or comical representation of a face, worn especially to frighten or amuse, as at Halloween.c. A facial covering worn for ritual.d. A figure of a head worn by actors in Greek and Roman drama to identify a character or trait and to amplify the voice.2. a. A protective covering for the face or head.b. A gas mask.c. A usually rubber frame forming a watertight seal around the eyes and nose and containing a transparent covering for use in seeing underwater.d. A covering for the nose and mouth that is used for inhaling oxygen or an anesthetic.e. A covering worn over the nose and mouth, as by a surgeon or dentist, to prevent infection.3. a. A mold of a person’s face, often made after death.b. An often grotesque representation of a head and face, used for ornamentation.4. a. An area of contrasting color on the face and usually across the eyes of an animal.b. The head, face, or muzzle of certain animals, such as a fox or a dog.5. A face having a blank, fixed, or enigmatic expression.6. Something, often a trait, that disguises or conceals: “If ever I saw misery under a mask, it was on her face” (Erskine Childers).7. A natural or artificial feature of terrain that conceals and protects military forces or installations.8. a. An opaque border or pattern placed between a source of light and a photosensitive surface to prevent exposure of specified portions of the surface.b. The translucent border framing a television picture tube and screen.9. Computers A pattern of characters, bits, or bytes used to control the elimination or retention of another pattern of characters, bits, or bytes.10. A cosmetic preparation that is applied to the face and allowed to dry before being removed, used especially for cleansing and tightening the skin.11. Variant of masque.12. A person wearing a mask.v. masked, mask·ing, masks v.tr.1. To cover (the face, for example) with a decorative or protective mask.2. a. To cover in order to conceal, protect, or disguise: masked the baseboard with tape before painting the wall.b. To make indistinct or difficult to perceive: spices that mask the strong flavor of the meat; sounds that were masked by white noise.c. To conceal by dissembling: a smile that masked his anger. See Synonyms at disguise.3. Chemistry To prevent (an atom or a group of atoms) from taking part in a normal reaction.v.intr.1. To put on a mask, especially for a masquerade ball.2. To conceal one’s real personality, emotion, or intention.[French masque, from Italian maschera, from a source akin to Latin masca, evil spirit, specter; see mascot, and probably partly also from Arabic mas?ara, laughingstock, masquerade (from sa?ira to laugh (at), mock; see ??r in Semitic roots).]mask?a·ble adj.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.mask (m??sk) n1. (Clothing & Fashion) any covering for the whole or a part of the face worn for amusement, protection, disguise, etc2. a fact, action, etc, that conceals something: his talk was a mask for his ignorance. 3. (Clothing & Fashion) another name for masquerade4. (Art Terms) a likeness of a face or head, either sculpted or moulded, such as a death mask5. (Theatre) an image of a face worn by an actor, esp in ancient Greek and Roman drama, in order to symbolize the character being portrayed6. (Theatre) a variant spelling of masque7. (Clothing & Fashion) a variant spelling of masque8. (Surgery) surgery a sterile gauze covering for the nose and mouth worn esp during operations to minimize the spread of germs9. (General Sporting Terms) sport a protective covering for the face worn for fencing, ice hockey, etc10. (Art Terms) a carving in the form of a face or head, used as an ornament11. (Military) a natural land feature or artificial object which conceals troops, etc, from view12. a device placed over the nose and mouth to facilitate or prevent inhalation of a gas13. (Photography) photog a shield of paper, paint, etc, placed over an area of unexposed photographic surface to stop light falling on it14. (Electronics) electronics a thin sheet of material from which a pattern has been cut, placed over a semiconductor chip so that an integrated circuit can be formed on the exposed areas15. (Computer Science) computing a bit pattern which, by convolution with a second pattern in a logical operation, can be used to isolate a specific subset of the second pattern for examination16. (Zoology) entomol a large prehensile mouthpart (labium) of the dragonfly larva17. (Zoology) the face or head of an animal, such as a fox, or the dark coloration of the face of some animals, such as Siamese cats and certain dogs18. (Clothing & Fashion) another word for face pack19. rare a person wearing a maskvb20. to cover with or put on a mask21. (tr) to conceal; disguise: to mask an odour. 22. (Photography) (tr) photog to shield a particular area of (an unexposed photographic surface) in order to prevent or reduce the action of light there23. (Crafts) (tr) to shield a particular area of (a surface to be painted) with masking tape24. (Cookery) (tr) to cover (cooked food, esp meat) with a savoury sauce or glaze25. (Cookery) a Scottish variant of mash8[C16: from Italian maschera, ultimately from Arabic maskharah clown, from sakhira mockery] ?mask?like adjCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014mask (mæsk, m?sk) n. 1. a covering for all or part of the face, worn to conceal one’s identity. 2. a grotesque or humorous false face: party masks. 3. anything that disguises or conceals: His politeness is a mask for anger. 4. a covering, as of wire or gauze, worn over all or part of the face for protection, as from dust, a pitched ball, or the spread of infection. 5. a device worn over the mouth and nose, as to facilitate breathing. 6. a likeness of a face. Compare death mask, life mask. 7. a molded or carved covering for the face of an actor, representing the character portrayed, as in Greek drama. 8. a protective shield, as of paper or plastic, used for covering an area of something, as of a photograph. 9. a cosmetic preparation applied to the face to tighten, cleanse, or refresh the skin. 10. an often grotesque representation of a face or head used as a decorative device. 11. the dark shading on the muzzle of certain dogs. 12. the face or head, as of a fox. 13. a stencil applied to the surface of a semiconductor to permit selective etching or deposition. 14. masque. v.t. 15. to disguise; conceal: to mask one’s intentions. 16. to cover, conceal, or shield with a mask. 17. to hinder, as an army, from conducting an operation. v.i. 18. to put on a mask; disguise oneself. [1525?35;