cosmetic
English
Etymology
From Ancient Greek κοσμητική (kosmetike) "the art of dress and ornament", from κοσμητής (kosmetes) "orderer, director, decorator", from κοσμέω (kosmeo) "to order, to arrange, to rule, to adorn, to equip, to dress, to embellish".
Pronunciation
Adjective
cosmetic (comparative more cosmetic, superlative most cosmetic)
- Imparting or improving beauty, particularly the beauty of the complexion.
- a cosmetic preparation
- Alexander Pope
- First, robed in white, the nymph intent adores, / With head uncovered, the cosmetic powers.
- External or superficial; pertaining only to the surface or appearance of something.
- Fortunately, the damage to the house was mostly cosmetic and a bit of paint covered it nicely.
Related terms
Derived terms
Translations
external or superficial
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Noun
cosmetic (plural cosmetics)
- Any substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin, e.g. lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner; makeup.
- A feature existing only on the surface.
Hyponyms
- See also Wikisaurus:toiletry
Translations
any substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin
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See also
External links
- cosmetic in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- cosmetic in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- cosmetic at OneLook Dictionary Search