costume

[ noun kos-toom, -tyoom; verb 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)

, cos·tumed, cos·tum·ing.

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. See swimming costume
   short for swimming costume

verb

1. to furnish the costumes for (a show, film, etc)
2. to dress (someone) in a costume

Other Words From

• recos·tume verb (used with object) recostumed recostuming
• un·costumed adjective
• well-costumed 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

Katy Perry was flanked by dancers wearing shark costumes during her 2015 performance.

From Washington Post

You aunt has hit a new low in attempts to act as costume director at a wedding.

From Washington Post

I don’t know what furries did 50 years ago beyond imagining or surreptitiously donning a wolf costume.

From Washington Post

We added a place to hang Halloween costumes, party dresses, ski clothes and “just-in-case” fashion.

From Washington Post

Officials at Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center said a staff member wearing an inflatable Christmas tree costume to spread holiday cheer likely spread coronavirus-laden droplets instead.

From Washington Post

Her daughter, Elaina, 24, a trained costume designer and makeup artist, helps out by sewing clothes.

From The Daily Beast

The brand logo turned out to feature a graceful archer on horseback, in a Tatar national costume, poised to shoot his arrow.

From The Daily Beast

He then dons a Spider-Man costume and savagely starts attacking criminals.

From The Daily Beast

What makes this story resonate with fans is that it proves it takes more than just the costume to become “Spider-Man.”

From The Daily Beast

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute has staged some truly fantastic shows over the past few years.

From The Daily Beast

I had no idea who they were, as the Grand Duke was in morning costume, and had no star or decoration to distinguish him.

From Project Gutenberg

Movement to know that she was attired in appropriate costume—short frock, biped continuations and a mannish oil-skin hat.

From Project Gutenberg

If she is so distingue in rather less than ordinary dress, what would she be in a Parisian costume?

From Project Gutenberg

It was a corso blanc, and everyone wore white—chiefly modifications of Pierrot costume—and everyone was masked.

From Project Gutenberg

In this portrait of tiny dimensions the Prince is represented in fancy costume, after the manner of Holbein.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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