Maquillage
[mahk-ee-AZH]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: French, 19th century
1.
Makeup; cosmetics.
Examples of Maquillage in a sentence
"Andrea watched YouTube videos to learn new techniques for her maquillage."
"Theater performers usually wear thick layers of maquillage to ensure the audience can see their features."
About Maquillage
“Maquillage” comes directly from the French “maquillage,” whose roots in Middle French originally meant “to do.” “Maquiller,” the French verb meaning “apply make-up to one’s face,” entered English through theatrical vernacular in the 1840s, while the noun “maquillage” was used in the 1850s.
Did you Know?
“Maquillage” is often used as a direct synonym for “make-up” or “cosmetics,” but the word’s definition is not as neutral as those two terms. Rather, “maquillage” often suggests make-up applied excessively or garishly. This is partly due to “maquillage” entering English through the culture of 19th century theatrical entertainment, in which actors needed exaggerated and distinct makeup to be identifiable onstage.
