cover, covering, screening, masking
(noun) the act of concealing the existence of something by obstructing the view of it; “the cover concealed their guns from enemy aircraft”
masking
(noun) the blocking of one sensation resulting from the presence of another sensation; “he studied auditory masking by pure tones”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
masking
present participle of mask
masking (plural maskings)
The act by which something is masked.
An entertainment at which the guests conceal their faces with masks.
The practice of wearing safety masks.
• antimasker
• makings, skin mag, skin-mag, skinmag
Source: Wiktionary
Mask, n. Etym: [F. masque, LL. masca, mascha, mascus; cf. Sp. & Pg. máscara, It. maschera; all fr. Ar. maskharat buffoon, fool, pleasantry, anything ridiculous or mirthful, fr. sakhira to ridicule, to laugh at. Cf. Masque, Masquerade.]
1. A cover, or partial cover, for the face, used for disguise or protection; as, a dancer's mask; a fencer's mask; a ball player's mask.
2. That which disguises; a pretext or subterfuge.
3. A festive entertainment of dancing or other diversions, where all wear masks; a masquerade; hence, a revel; a frolic; a delusive show. Bacon. This thought might lead me through the world's vain mask. Milton.
4. A dramatic performance, formerly in vogue, in which the actors wore masks and represented mythical or allegorical characters.
5. (Arch.)
Definition: A grotesque head or face, used to adorn keystones and other prominent parts, to spout water in fountains, and the like; -- called also mascaron.
6. (Fort.) (a) In a permanent fortification, a redoubt which protects the caponiere. (b) A screen for a battery.
7. (Zoöl.)
Definition: The lower lip of the larva of a dragon fly, modified so as to form a prehensile organ. Mask house, a house for masquerades. [Obs.]
Mask, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Masked; p. pr. & vb. n. Masking.]
1. To cover, as the face, by way of concealment or defense against injury; to conceal with a mask or visor. They must all be masked and vizarded. Shak.
2. To disguise; to cover; to hide. Masking the business from the common eye. Shak.
3. (Mil.) (a) To conceal; also, to intervene in the line of. (b) To cover or keep in check; as, to mask a body of troops or a fortess by a superior force, while some hostile evolution is being carried out.
Mask, v. i.
1. To take part as a masker in a masquerade. Cavendish.
2. To wear a mask; to be disguised in any way. Shak.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
31 March 2025
(adjective) done or made using whatever is available; “crossed the river on improvised bridges”; “the survivors used jury-rigged fishing gear”; “the rock served as a makeshift hammer”
Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.
