mask
n. countablen. a covering for your face that hides who you are or protects you from germs and smoke.
n. a covering worn over all or part of the face for protection, disguise, or performance. In technical contexts, it refers to a pattern used to include or exclude specific data or areas.
She wore a colorful mask to the party.
The surgeon adjusted her protective mask before entering the operating room to maintain a sterile environment.
The ancient ritual involved a wooden mask carved with intricate patterns, designed to represent the spirit of the forest during the harvest festival.
Borrowed from Middle French masque (“a covering to hide or protect the face”), from Italian maschera (“mask, disguise”), from (a byform of, see it for more) Medieval Latin masca, mascha, a borrowing of Proto-West Germanic *maskā, from which English mesh and mask (“mesh”) (below at Etymology 2) are inherited. Doublet of masque and mesh. Replaced Old English grīma (“mask”), whence grime, and displaced non-native Middle English viser (“visor, mask”) borrowed from Old French viser, visier.
From Middle English maske, from Old English max, masċ (“net”), from Proto-West Germanic *maskā (“mesh, netting, mask”). Doublet of mesh and mask above.
From Middle English *mask, masch, from Old English māx, māsc (“mash”). Doublet of mash.
From Middle English masken, short for *maskeren, malskren (“to bewilder; be confused, wander”). More at masker.
Commonly used with the verb 'wear' or 'put on'.