Vizards

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A mask or visor that conceals one's identity or expression
2. An object worn to shield the face, often for disguise or theatrical purposes
3. A term referring to any covering for the face that may provide anonymity or alter appearance

Etymology: "Vizards" is simply the plural of "vizard," a noun for a mask that hides the face. The singular is itself a corruption of "visor," the part of a helmet that could be raised or lowered to reveal or conceal the face. Over time, the ending of "visor" was reshaped by confusion with the "-ard" ending found in words such as "wizard" and "drunkard," and the altered form took hold in English as a term for a face covering worn at masquerades and in disguise. The original "visor" comes from the same root as "visage" and "vision," all tied to the act of seeing. Its earliest sense was the movable front of a helmet with eye-slits, so the word began with armour before it passed into the ordinary vocabulary of costume and concealment.