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Glite Dictionary
🎭 To reveal truth 🔓 To show characters
to unmask

to unmask

1 4.9
Show the actual characters typed in a password field
  • verb
  • /ʌnˈmæsk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : mostrar la contraseña
  • As identification technology becomes cheaper and more prevalent, it could easily unmask people and track their movements.

Examples

  • When my symptoms begin to unmask themselves, I push myself harder, feeling like I have to get it all done before I start to feel really bad.

    Blog text (26)

  • The BTL used technological means to unmask a mental imprint left on the host brain.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • I will pay $20 to unmask this anonymous.

    Blog text (2)

  • If the suspect denies ever seeing the alleged weapon, then the response to the hot target weapon picture is unmasked by responses to neutral snaps.

    Academic text (2006)

  • To view your password, simply click the 'unmask' button on the login screen.

  • He decided to unmask the hidden characters in the password field to check for errors.

  • When you unmask the input field, you can see exactly what you have typed.

Antonyms

to mask
  • Specialized
10 6.3

To apply a pattern to data to hide or select parts

How Visible

to show
∞ 1.0
to unmask
  • Specialized
1 4.9
to mask
  • Specialized
10 6.3
to hide
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

unmask infinitive
unmasked past
unmasked past participle
unmasking present participle
unmasks third person singular

Morphology

unmask = mask (transparent) = un + mask

The prefix 'un-' clearly indicates the reversal of the action 'mask'.

Etymology

Unmask in computing uses the same idea: un- 'remove' plus mask 'cover' means taking away the cover that hides letters. That's why to unmask a password is to show the real characters that were hidden.