face shield

noun

plural face shields

: a protective covering for all or part of the face that is commonly made of clear plastic and is worn especially to prevent injury (as from impact, extreme temperature, or a dangerous substance) or to reduce the spread of transmissible disease

Infectious disease experts and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge people to wear cloth face coverings or plastic face shields in public to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.

—Nick Coltrain

The headbands are reusable with an interchangeable face shield, which greatly increases their utility versus a single-use disposable design.

—Edwin B. Smith

… no action was taken by the American Hockey Coaches Association regarding the matter of a three-quarters face shield for college hockey players. Thus, the full face mask requirement will remain in place for next season.

—John Connolly

If it's really cold, a snowmobile-style helmet with a face shield is your best bet.

—Tom Kaiser

Wash your hands frequently and use a cloth face shield to protect yourself and others from spreading the virus.

—Howard B. Owens

Examples of face shield in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The European Union banned the export of face shields, gloves, masks, and protective garments for the same reason. —Karen Donfried, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2020

After the seminar, Mondragon loaded up his white pickup truck with boxes of N95 masks, face shields and goggles to take back to his job site and share with the other workers. —Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 26 Nov. 2024

Ryan Lindgren, who missed the start of the year with a jaw injury, no longer has to wear a face shield. —Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024

Using it as a face shield in super dry mountain air also helped prevent lung scorch. —Mark Eller, Outside Online, 15 Nov. 2024

That includes ensuring personal protective gear — such as face shields or goggles, respirator masks, rubber coveralls and boots — are available to workers on farms with infected animals. —Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 26 Apr. 2024

Lawrence rattles off a list: hand sanitizer, face masks, face shields, sanitizing spray, disinfecting wipes, rolls of tape to mark out 6-foot increments on the floor, envelope sealers for provisional ballots. —Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 15 Sep. 2020

Workers urged to wear N95 respirators, face shields Health officials recommend livestock workers wear personal protective equipment, including N95 respirators, goggles, face shields and gloves. —Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 15 Oct. 2024

State public health officials recommended personal protective equipment for those who are working with animals or materials that may be infected with the bird flu virus, like face shields or safety goggles for eye protection, N95 masks and gloves. —Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

face shield

noun

: a protective covering for all or part of the face that is commonly made of clear plastic and is worn especially to prevent injury (as from impact, extreme temperature, or a dangerous substance) or to reduce the spread of transmissible disease

The use of a full face shield compared with half face shield by intercollegiate ice hockey players significantly reduced the playing time lost because of concussion, suggesting that concussion severity may be reduced by the use of a full face shield.

—B. W. Benson et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine

… if a medical professional wearing a face shield is exposed to droplets when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes in front of the wearer's face, the large droplets may attach to the face shield's surface, thereby providing protection; however, small droplets may move with the airflow and be drawn in through the space between the wearer's face and the face shield.

—Fujio Akagi et al., Physics of Fluids