mask
gb/mˈæsk/ us/mˈæsk/
A2
Kiingereza
~ 5600
Maana
maana 0
Nomino
A2
entity
1
covering worn over the face
A thing you wear on your face to protect it, hide who you are, or for fun or tradition.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to wear a mask
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse 'mask' with 'masque', which is an old word for a type of play, or with 'mascara', which is eye makeup. For face coverings, use 'mask'.
Visawe
face covering (More formal and general; often used in public health or legal contexts.)
Vinyume
barefaced (Describes having no mask or covering on the face.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
wear a mask
|face mask
|surgical mask
|gas mask
|remove your mask
|protective mask
Mada
health
|safety
|daily life
|culture
|daily_life
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Kitenzi
B1
action
2
hide or block something
To hide something so people cannot easily see it, hear it, smell it, or know it.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to mask [something]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes think 'mask' only means 'to put on a mask'. As a verb, it is often used more generally to mean 'to hide' or 'to cover' a smell, sound, feeling, or fact.
Visawe
conceal (Slightly more formal; focuses more on keeping something secret.)
Vinyume
reveal (Means to make something known or easy to see instead of hiding it.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
mask the smell
|mask the sound
|mask the pain
|mask the truth
|mask the problem
Mada
communication
|perception
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Nomino
B2
entity
3
outward behavior that hides feelings
The way someone looks or acts that hides how they really feel or who they really are.
Muundo wa matumizi:
a mask of [emotion/attitude]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may take this meaning literally and picture a physical object. In this sense, 'mask' is abstract and refers to someone's behavior or expression, not an actual thing on the face.
Visawe
facade (More formal and often used in writing; suggests a false outward appearance.)
Vinyume
authenticity (Refers to showing one's true self without pretending.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
a mask of confidence
|a mask of calm
|behind the mask
|emotional mask
|public mask
Mada
emotions
|psychology
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Nomino
B1
entity
4
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.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to apply a mask to [skin/hair]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may confuse this cosmetic sense with a protective face covering. In beauty contexts, 'mask' usually means a cream or gel on the skin or hair, not a cloth or medical mask.
Visawe
facial (Refers more generally to a face treatment, often in a salon; not always a thick layer that dries.)
Vinyume
cleanser (A product used to remove dirt or makeup quickly, not left on the skin like a mask.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
face mask
|clay mask
|hair mask
|hydrating mask
|apply a mask
Mada
beauty
|health
|daily life
|body
|daily_life
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Nomino
technical
C1
entity
5
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.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to apply a mask to [image/data/signal]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may think of a physical covering. In technical texts, 'mask' is abstract data or a pattern, not an object you wear.
Visawe
filter (Overlaps in some contexts; 'filter' selects data but does not always work by position or pattern like a mask.)
Vinyume
unmask (In technical contexts, can mean to remove a masking operation so that hidden data or bits become visible or active again.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
bitmask
|subnet mask
|image mask
|apply a mask
|mask layer
Mada
technology
|science
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Kitenzi
technical
C1
action
6
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.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to mask [part/area/data] with [material/mask]
Visawe
shield (Focuses more on physical protection, but in technical use can be similar when protecting parts from a process.)
Vinyume
expose (In many technical contexts, means to leave something uncovered or subject to a process instead of protecting or blocking it.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
mask off the area
|mask out background
|mask unwanted noise
|mask selected pixels
Mada
technology
|science
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Kitenzi
B2
action
7
put on a face mask
To put a mask on your face and keep it there.
Muundo wa matumizi:
to mask in/on [place/situation]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may expect 'mask' to be followed by a direct object here (e.g. *'mask your face'), but in health rules it is often used without an object: 'You must mask indoors.'
Visawe
mask up (Common informal phrasal verb; often used in spoken instructions.)
Vinyume
unmask (Means to take off your mask or to be without a mask.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
mask indoors
|mask in public
|mask at work
|remember to mask
Mada
health
|daily life
|daily_life
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
mask
IPA
GB/mˈæsk/
US/mˈæsk/
Silabi na mkazo
mask (silabi 1)
Stress on 1st syllable (mask)
Maumbo ya neno
Noun
- Base: mask
- Plural: masks
Verb
- Base: mask
- 3rd Person Singular: masks
- Present Participle: masking
- Past: masked
Familia ya neno
Forms
masks
noun
masking
verb
masked
verb
Negative and opposite forms
unmask
verb
Semi
behind the mask
1/bɪhˈaɪnd ðə mˈæsk/
idiom
hidden self under appearance
Used to talk about a person’s real feelings or character that are hidden by their behavior or appearance.
Mifano
- 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
1/dɹˈɑp ðə mˈæsk/
idiom
stop pretending, show truth
To stop pretending and show how you really feel or who you really are.
Mifano
- 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
1/mˈæsk ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
remove a mask or covering
To take a mask off your face, or to remove a covering that was protecting part of something.
Mifano
- 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
1/mˈæsk ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
put on a face mask
To put a mask on your face, usually because of a health or safety rule.
Mifano
- 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
1/wˈɛɹ ə mˈæsk/
fixed phrase
have a mask on your face
To have a mask on your face, especially for health, work, or a special event.
Mifano
- 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.