MASK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does mask mean? 

• MASK (noun)
  The noun MASK has 4 senses:

1. a covering to disguise or conceal the face

2. activity that tries to conceal something

3. a party of guests wearing costumes and masks

4. a protective covering worn over the face

  Familiarity information: MASK used as a noun is uncommon.

• MASK (verb)
  The verb MASK has 5 senses:

1. hide under a false appearance

2. put a mask on or cover with a mask

3. make unrecognizable

4. cover with a sauce

5. shield from light

  Familiarity information: MASK used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MASK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A covering to disguise or conceal the face

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("mask" is a kind of...):

covering (an artifact that covers something else (usually to protect or shelter or conceal it))

disguise (any attire that modifies the appearance in order to conceal the wearer's identity)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mask"):

domino; eye mask; half mask (a mask covering the upper part of the face but with holes for the eyes)

false face (a mask worn as part of a masquerade costume)

Derivation:

mask (put a mask on or cover with a mask)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Activity that tries to conceal something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

they moved in under a mask of friendship

Hypernyms ("mask" is a kind of...):

concealing; concealment; hiding (the activity of keeping something secret)

Derivation:

mask (cover with a sauce)

mask (hide under a false appearance)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A party of guests wearing costumes and masks

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

mask; masque; masquerade; masquerade party

Hypernyms ("mask" is a kind of...):

party (a group of people gathered together for pleasure)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mask"):

fancy-dress ball; masked ball; masquerade ball (a ball at which guests wear costumes and masks)

Derivation:

mask (put a mask on or cover with a mask)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A protective covering worn over the face

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("mask" is a kind of...):

protection; protective cover; protective covering (a covering that is intend to protect from damage or injury)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mask"):

face mask (mask that provides a protective covering for the face in such sports as baseball or football or hockey)

gas helmet; gasmask; respirator (a protective mask with a filter; protects the face and lungs against poisonous gases)

welder's mask (a mask that you wear for protection when doing welding)

Derivation:

mask (put a mask on or cover with a mask)

• MASK (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they mask    ... he / she / it masks   
Past simple: masked   
Past participle: masked   
-ing form: masking   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Hide under a false appearance

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

cloak; dissemble; mask

Context example:

He masked his disappointment

Hypernyms (to "mask" is one way to...):

disguise; mask (make unrecognizable)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

mask (activity that tries to conceal something)

masking (the act of concealing the existence of something by obstructing the view of it)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Put a mask on or cover with a mask

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

Mask the children for Halloween

Hypernyms (to "mask" is one way to...):

cover (provide with a covering or cause to be covered)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Antonym:

unmask (take the mask off)

Derivation:

mask (a covering to disguise or conceal the face)

mask (a protective covering worn over the face)

mask (a party of guests wearing costumes and masks)

masker (a participant in a masquerade)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make unrecognizable

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

disguise; mask

Context example:

We disguised our faces before robbing the bank

Hypernyms (to "mask" is one way to...):

conceal; hide (prevent from being seen or discovered)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "mask"):

cloak; dissemble; mask (hide under a false appearance)

dissimulate (hide (feelings) from other people)

masquerade (take part in a masquerade)

camouflage (disguise by camouflaging; exploit the natural surroundings to disguise something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Cover with a sauce

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

mask the meat

Hypernyms (to "mask" is one way to...):

cover (provide with a covering or cause to be covered)

"Mask" entails doing...:

cook (transform and make suitable for consumption by heating)

Domain category:

cookery; cooking; preparation (the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

mask (activity that tries to conceal something)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Shield from light

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

block out; mask

Hypernyms (to "mask" is one way to...):

cover (provide with a covering or cause to be covered)

Domain category:

photography; picture taking (the act of taking and printing photographs)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

Very good, do you make the masks.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

An image of reduced quality resulting from the application of the wrong mask.

(Collimation Error, NCI Thesaurus)

“You will excuse this mask,” continued our strange visitor.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

An image of reduced quality resulting from the application of a mask in the wrong way.

(Inappropriate Manual Collimation, NCI Thesaurus)

One in five people with masked hypertension never register as having high blood pressure in a clinical setting, according to another study.

(High Blood Pressure Liked to Long Hours on Job, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

He showed the Scarecrow the dress and the mask he had worn when he seemed to be the lovely Lady.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Verifying this temperature difference was key for vetting Hubble's no-water result, because a uniform atmosphere can also mask the signatures of water molecules.

(Water Is Destroyed, Then Reborn in Ultrahot Jupiters, NASA/JPL)

Scientists think that is likely due to the smaller star being surrounded by gas, perhaps enough to mask the shockwave when it reached the star's surface.

(Kepler Catches Early Flash of an Exploding Star, NASA)

This locks DNA polymerase thereby resulting in "masked termination" during DNA replication.

(Gemcitabine, NCI Thesaurus)

So I dressed up as Mrs. Malaprop, and sailed in with a mask on.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)