n.
Pronunciation: ' mask
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 mold
2 a : something that serves to conceal or disguise : PRETENSE , CLOAK <aware of the mask s, 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 dries
4 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