Mask
nounA covering worn over part of the face for protection, disguise, or concealment.
How to spell mask
4 letters · 1 syllable
How to pronounce mask
What does mask mean?
- nounA covering worn over part of the face for protection, disguise, or concealment.
- verbTo hide, cover, or disguise something so that it cannot be easily seen or noticed.
Mask in a sentence
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noun
The surgeon fastened a clean mask before entering the operating room.
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verb
Strong perfume can mask the smell of stale smoke.
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noun
A carved wooden mask hung on the wall of the gallery.
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verb
Painters use tape to mask the edges they want to keep clean.
Where does mask come from?
Language of origin: French
The word arrived in English in the 1500s from the French masque, meaning a covering for the face, which French had taken from the Italian maschera with the same sense. Behind those forms lies the Medieval Latin masca, a word that puzzlingly meant 'witch' or 'spectre' as well as 'mask', and many scholars also connect it to the Arabic maskhara, meaning 'buffoon' or 'a thing of mockery'. The Italian and French theatre traditions of disguise and carnival carried the word into wider European use, which is why a related spelling survives in 'masque', the old courtly entertainment full of costumes and concealment. Over time the everyday English noun simplified to 'mask' for any face covering, while the fancier 'masque' kept the theatrical sense. The blunt four-letter spelling is easy, though the silent theatrical cousin 'masque' is the trap to keep separate.
How the word is built
- mask (single root, no affixes)
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