Wiktionary
n. A mask worn to catch bacteria shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose.
Wikipedia
A surgical mask, also known as a procedure mask, is intended to be worn by health professionals during surgery and during nursing to catch the bacteria shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose. Its first recorded use was by the French surgeon Paul Berger during an 1897 operation in Paris.
Surgical masks are also popularly worn by the general public in East Asian countries to reduce the chance of spreading airborne diseases; in Japan, it is common to wear a face mask whilst ill to avoid infecting others in public settings. Surgical masks were widely used in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Toronto, Canada during outbreaks of the SARS virus, during the 2007 bird flu pandemic in Japan, and in the United States and Mexico City during the 2009 flu pandemic featuring swine flu and the H1N1 virus. They are also worn by people in dusty environments such as sanitation workers.
In higher risk environments, N95 or NIOSH masks may be used in place of surgical masks as they provide better protection due to their shape and securing straps.
Modern surgical masks are made from paper or other non-woven material and should be discarded after each use.
Usage examples of "surgical mask".
She found a surgical mask, which is perfect for covering one's face, and a pair of rubber gloves, that are perfect for protecting one's hands, and at the very bottom of the pocket she found a ballpoint pen, which is perfect for crossing out names which aren't the anagrams you're looking for.
The only thing he thought he could do would be to wear a surgical mask constantly.
Terry's bright eyes watched over the surgical mask as Adam operated.
Visitors coming in might have thought it odd that he wore his surgical mask until he was well down the steps and away from the security cameras.
Her glasses glittered between her white cap and her surgical mask.
I dropped my car key inside and pulled on several layers of gloves and a surgical mask.
Chan might suddenly rush into the waiting room, surgical mask dangling from his neck, face aglow, with news of a spontaneous rejection of the cancer.
Then he hung the clipboard on the gurney, drew on his surgical mask, and with the nurse's help lifted the sheeted corpse onto the stainless steel examining table.