mask
covering worn over the face
A thing you wear on your face to protect it, hide who you are, or for fun or tradition.
to wear a mask
- Passengers are required to wear a mask on the subway.
- He pulled his mask down to take a drink of water.
- The thief wore a ski mask to hide his identity.
- She bought a colorful mask for the costume party.
- The doctor adjusted her surgical mask before entering the room.
- Please wear a mask in the hospital.
- He takes off his mask when he gets home.
- The child puts on a lion mask for the school play.
- I lost my mask on the bus.
- She bought a new black mask at the pharmacy.
hide or block something
To hide something so people cannot easily see it, hear it, smell it, or know it.
to mask [something]
- The strong perfume masked the smell of smoke.
- Loud music masked the noise from the construction site.
- The company used complex language to mask the real cost of the service.
- Her cheerful tone masked how nervous she really was.
- Thick clouds masked the mountain peaks from view.
- The sugar masks the bitter taste of the medicine.
- Her smile masks her sadness.
- Heavy rain masks the sound of the cars.
- He tried to mask his anger with a joke.
- Dark glasses can mask tired eyes.
outward behavior that hides feelings
The way someone looks or acts that hides how they really feel or who they really are.
a mask of [emotion/attitude]
- His friendly smile was just a mask hiding deep insecurity.
- She wore a mask of confidence during the interview, but inside she was terrified.
- Behind his joking mask, he was actually very sensitive.
- The politician's mask slipped when he shouted at the reporter.
- Her calm voice was a mask for growing panic.
- He uses jokes as a mask for his pain.
- Her happy face is a mask; she feels lonely.
- Behind the mask of a strong man, he is afraid.
- She shows a mask of calm at work.
- His angry words are a mask for fear.
cosmetic treatment on face or hair
A special cream or liquid you put on your face or hair for some time and then wash off to make it look or feel better.
to apply a mask to [skin/hair]
- She uses a clay mask once a week to reduce oil on her skin.
- Leave the hair mask on for ten minutes before rinsing.
- The spa offers a moisturizing mask for dry faces.
- This charcoal mask is supposed to clean your pores.
- He put on a soothing mask after shaving to calm his skin.
- I put a mask on my face every Sunday night.
- This hair mask makes my hair soft.
- Leave the mask on your skin for fifteen minutes.
- She buys a new face mask from the shop.
- After the mask, my face feels clean.
data or pattern that hides or selects
In technical work with data, images, or signals, a special pattern or set of numbers that tells which parts to show, change, or hide.
to apply a mask to [image/data/signal]
- Use this mask to select only the bright areas of the image.
- The network engineer changed the subnet mask to allow more devices.
- A bitmask is used to turn specific bits on or off.
- The software stores the selection as a mask that you can edit later.
- In this operation, the mask defines which pixels will be blurred.
- The program uses a mask to hide some data.
- We set a new subnet mask on the router.
- An image mask shows which pixels to change.
- The mask tells the computer what parts to read.
- A bitmask can mark some bits as 1 and others as 0.
cover parts to block effects
To hide or protect some parts of something, like an image, a surface, or data, so that only the other parts are changed or seen.
to mask [part/area/data] with [material/mask]
- Mask off the windows before you start painting the walls.
- The software lets you mask out the background of the photo.
- Engineers masked the sensitive components during the coating process.
- Use this tool to mask the area you do not want to edit.
- The filter masks high-frequency noise in the audio signal.
- We mask the edges so the paint does not touch them.
- You can mask the sky and change only the land in this photo.
- The machine masks some parts to keep them safe.
- Mask out the noise and keep the clear sound.
- They mask the chip before adding a new layer.
put on a face mask
To put a mask on your face and keep it there.
to mask in/on [place/situation]
- All visitors must mask while inside the clinic.
- Please remember to mask on public transport.
- Students are asked to mask in crowded areas of the campus.
- Some people still choose to mask in busy shops.
- He forgot to mask before entering the lab.
- You must mask on the bus.
- We mask when we go into the hospital.
- She does not want to mask at the party.
- They mask in class but not outside.
- Please mask before you enter the room.
- Base: mask
- Plural: masks
- Base: mask
- 3rd Person Singular: masks
- Present Participle: masking
- Past: masked
behind the mask
1hidden self under appearance
Used to talk about a person’s real feelings or character that are hidden by their behavior or appearance.
- Behind the mask of confidence, she was very insecure.
- No one knew what he was really like behind the mask.
- The book tries to show the real man behind the mask of power.
drop the mask
1stop pretending, show truth
To stop pretending and show how you really feel or who you really are.
- Eventually he dropped the mask and admitted he was afraid.
- She rarely drops the mask of professionalism at work.
- In private, the politician dropped the mask and spoke very openly.
mask off
1remove a mask or covering
To take a mask off your face, or to remove a covering that was protecting part of something.
- You can mask off once you leave the building.
- They told the actors to mask off after the scene was finished.
- When the paint was dry, we masked off the tape and checked the edges.
mask up
1put on a face mask
To put a mask on your face, usually because of a health or safety rule.
- Everyone had to mask up before boarding the plane.
- Don’t forget to mask up when you go into the clinic.
- Workers are asked to mask up in crowded areas of the factory.
wear a mask
1have a mask on your face
To have a mask on your face, especially for health, work, or a special event.
- You must wear a mask in the waiting room.
- Children wear a mask during the school play.
- He has to wear a mask at work all day.