costume

[kos-toom, -tyoom, ko-stoom, -styoom]

noun

1. a style of dress, including accessories and hairdos, especially that peculiar to a nation, region, group, or historical period.

2. dress or garb characteristic of another period, place, person, etc., as worn on the stage or at balls.

3. fashion of dress appropriate to a particular occasion or season.

   dancing costume; winter costume.

4. a set of garments, especially women's garments, selected for wear at a single time; outfit; ensemble.

verb (used with object)

costumed, costuming 

1. to dress; furnish with a costume; provide appropriate dress for.

   to costume a play.

adjective

1. of or characterized by the wearing of costumes.

   a costume party.

2. meant for use with or appropriate to a specific costume.

   costume accessories.

costume

/ ˈkɒstjuːm /

noun

1. a complete style of dressing, including all the clothes, accessories, etc, worn at one time, as in a particular country or period; dress

   national costume

2. old-fashioned,  a woman's suit

3. a set of clothes, esp unusual or period clothes, worn in a play by an actor or at a fancy dress ball

   a jester's costume

4. short for swimming costume

verb

1. to furnish the costumes for (a show, film, etc)

2. to dress (someone) in a costume

Other Word Forms

• recostume verb (used with object)
• uncostumed adjective
• well-costumed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of costume¹

1705–15; < French < Italian: usage, habit, dress; doublet of custom

Word History and Origins

Origin of costume¹

C18: from French, from Italian: dress, habit, _custom

Synonym Study

See dress.

Example Sentences

Traditional denim is typically cotton woven diagonally in a twill, which makes it rough, said Steph Giri, who costumes dancers at the University of Utah and has never put one in jeans.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"This will be my seventh time seeing her. She always puts on a show, amazing costumes, sets, dancers. I'm excited to see what she has in store".

Read more on BBC

Also unsatisfying are some purely plot-driven scenes, such as a sequence in which Joe rescues the artist Salvador Dalí from a deep-sea diver costume.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The contemporary costumes are more stylish than is customary—although the bowler hats and boots are present.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The final parade of “national” songs was also cleverly handled: The characters, now appropriately costumed, stepped into a large frame, in front of a throne-room background, to perform.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• apparel 
• attire 
• dress 
• ensemble 
• fashion 
• garb 
• getup 
• style 
• suit 
• uniform 
• wardrobe