1. a comic or grotesque performance that contrasts with and follows a formal masque, popular in 16th and 17th century English theater
Usage: historical; chiefly British

Examples

• The antimask featured clowns and acrobats performing absurd dances after the elegant masque.
• In Stuart-era court entertainment, the antimask provided comic relief between acts of the formal masque.
• The playwright included an antimask with rustic characters to entertain the audience.
• Antimasks were designed to amuse common spectators with their crude humor and physical comedy.