cosmetics

Definition

Preparations applied externally to change or enhance the beauty of skin, hair, nails, lips, and eyes.

Etymology

From French cosmétique, from Ancient Greek κοσμητική (kosmētikḗ, “the art of dress and ornament”), from κοσμητικός (kosmētikós), an adjective of κοσμέω (kosméō, “to order, to arrange, to rule, to adorn, to equip, to dress, to embellish”).

Example Sentences

• "Near-synonyms: makeup, make-up; beauty products"
• "Near-synonym: cosmesis"
• "In the great fishbowl that we're doing everything in it's kind of unfortunate, but the cosmetics of the thing are more important than what's accomplished — in a great many ways."