curtain, bunting, act of play
幕 centers on a large piece of cloth that covers, separates, or marks a scene: a curtain, decorative bunting, or the act of a play (where the curtain rises and falls).
幕 combines 莫 (a phonetic element with the idea of covering) and 巾 (cloth), originally referring to a tent or covering cloth. The modern form retains this structure.
The top 莫 suggests covering or spreading, and the bottom 巾 is cloth. Picture a large cloth spread out like a theater curtain or festive bunting.
For マク, imagine a stagehand named Mack pulling the curtain: Mack -> マク, and the curtain rises for the next act.
raising the curtain
subtitles; captioning
curtain
shogunate; bakufu
Bakumatsu period; closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate; end of the Edo period
black curtain
rise of the curtain; opening of a play
(artillery) barrage
makuuchi; top division (of professional sumo)
third highest division; wrestlers of the third highest division
staff; staff officer
one act (of a play)
horizontal banner
smokescreen
falling of the curtain
intermission (between acts); interlude
end; close
hanging banner; hanging screen; curtain
(projection) screen
advancing to the first grade