gas mask
Preserved but no longer current.
A popular name for any contrivance designed to preserve the wearer from inhaling poison gas. In World War I (when gas was first used) the gas mask went through various forms from a sort of greasy felt domino to a box respirator strapped on the chest.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “gas mask” mean?
A popular name for any contrivance designed to preserve the wearer from inhaling poison gas. In World War I (when gas was first used) the gas mask went through various forms from a sort of greasy felt domino to a box respirator strapped on the chest.
Is “gas mask” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.