masque

UK: /mɑːsk/ US: (mask, mäsk)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

masque  (mask, mäsk), n. 

1. Show Business a form of aristocratic entertainment in England in the 16th and 17th centuries, originally consisting of pantomime and dancing but later including dialogue and song, presented in elaborate productions given by amateur and professional actors.
2. Show Business a dramatic composition for such entertainment.
3. Music and Dance a masquerade;
   masked ball;
   revel.
4. Clothing mask (def. 14).

Also, mask. 

• Middle French; see mask
• 1505–15

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

masque, mask / mɑːsk/ noun

1. a dramatic entertainment of the 16th to 17th centuries in England, consisting of pantomime, dancing, dialogue, and song, often performed at court
2. the words and music written for a masque
3. short for masquerade

Etymology: 16th Century: variant of mask