face mask: Meaning and Definition of

face' mask"

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. the protective equipment, usually made of steel or plastic, that guards the face, as the steel cage worn by a baseball catcher or the molded plastic covering worn by a hockey goalkeeper.
  2. any of various similar devices to shield the face, sometimes attached to or forming part of a helmet, as that worn by workers engaged in a hazardous activity.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.