death mask

noun

: a cast taken from the face of a dead person

Examples of death mask in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Neue has a photo of Schiele on his deathbed, along with a plaster death mask. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2026 The Chases are in the process of reconstructing the death mask and conducting DNA and stable isotope analysis of the skeleton. — ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2025 Weaving together biological processes with intensely technological ones, the death mask is ham-fistedly framed as a site of new life. — Kate Wagner, Curbed, 21 Oct. 2024 The face, eerily reminiscent of Egyptian death masks or the metal face shields used in WWI, serves as both a personal relic and a universal symbol of mourning. — Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for death mask

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of death mask was in 1838

Rhymes for death mask

See All Rhymes for death mask

Browse Nearby Words

death march
death mask
death metal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Death mask.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20mask. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on death mask

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about death mask

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All