death-mask
Definition
Noun: A "death-mask" is a cast, typically made of plaster or wax, taken from the face of a deceased person. It serves as a sculptural likeness or memento of the individual's facial features after death.
Usage Examples
- (A plaster cast taken from the poet's face after his death.)
- (Scholars examine these casts for facial details.)
- (A family heirloom consisting of a facial cast.)
Advanced Usage
"to take a death-mask": to create a cast of a dead person's face.
- The artisan took a death-mask of the king immediately after his passing. (The craftsman made the cast right after the king died.)
"death-mask as a funerary art": a practice in which these casts are used in mourning rituals or as memorial objects.
- In ancient cultures, death-masks were often placed on tombs to honor the deceased. (Used as part of burial customs.)
Variants and Related Words
- Death-mask (n) is a compound word; no common variants exist, but related terms include:
- Life-mask (n): a cast taken from a living person's face.
- The sculptor made a life-mask of the actor for a portrait bust. (A cast from a living face.)
Synonyms
- Face-cast: a general term for a molded impression of a face.
- Posthumous mask: a mask made after death.
Related Idioms
- "To wear a death-mask": to have an expressionless or emotionless face, as if frozen like a death-mask.
- After the tragedy, he wore a death-mask of grief, showing no emotion. (His face was immobile and blank.)