grease paint
Americannoun
-
an oily mixture of melted tallow or grease and a pigment, used by actors, clowns, etc., for making up their faces.
-
theatrical makeup.
Etymology
Origin of grease paint
First recorded in 1885–90
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In his Halloween paso doble showcase, he wore a clerical collar and forewent grease paint or creepy contacts, relying on wide-eyed expressions and a low-slung layer of fake fog to hide his relatively clumsy footwork.
From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025
They said she had makeup that was like grease paint that was melting off her face.
From New York Times • Dec. 17, 2020
Fitting for a portrayal pair of Broadway superstars, the series has grease paint running through its DNA.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 8, 2019
Its heart pumps more grease paint than blood.
From Time Magazine Archive
This is like backstage: grease paint, smoke, the materials of illusion.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
