/ mɑːsk; NAmE mæsk/ noun
a play written in verse , often with music and dancing, popular in England in the 16th and 17th centuries
For more information see the Cultural Guide
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WORD ORIGIN
early 16th cent. (in the sense masquerade or masked ball ): probably a back-formation (influenced by French masque mask ) from masker , from Italian mascar person wearing a mask.