mustache

American  

[muhs-tash, muh-stash] / ˈmʌs tæʃ, məˈstæʃ /

Or moustache

noun

1. the hair growing on the upper lip

2. such hair on men, allowed to grow without shaving, and often trimmed in any of various shapes.

3. hairs or bristles growing near the mouth of an animal.

4. a stripe of color, or elongated feathers, suggestive of a mustache on the side of the head of a bird.

5. something resembling a mustache, as food or drink adhering to the upper lip.

   a mustache of milk.

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mustache British  

/ məˈstɑːʃ /

noun

1. the US spelling of moustache

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Other Word Forms

• mustached
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of mustache

1575–85; < Middle French moustache < Italian mostaccio; see mustachio

Explanation

A mustache is hair that grows between a person's nose and mouth. Some mustaches are as thin as a pencil line, while others are bushy and full. Salvador Dali was known for his long, curled mustache. If you're trying to grow a mustache, you might start by shaving all your facial hair except the strands that grow above your upper lip. When your mustache becomes luxuriant and ample, you can trim it with scissors and style it with mustache wax. The word mustache comes from the French moustache, which has a Greek root, mystax, "upper lip."

Example Sentences

A house cat named Smokey wouldn’t come out from under the bed, and two feral cats, Blackie and Half Mustache, were on the loose.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2025

Before I found Mustache, I was going to clubs in West Hollywood.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2023

"Black Mustache" sells books on photography, fashion and design, including some in Russian, though the delivery costs have been high.

From Reuters • Oct. 11, 2022

Mustache production would not keep up with demand!

From Seattle Times • Apr. 15, 2022

Sandra, Ms. Kolbinsky’s granddaughter, who people call Mustache because of a port-wine stain birthmark under her nose.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali