Showing results for mascara. Search instead for mascaras.

mascara

American

[ma-skar-uh, ma-skahr-uh] / mæˈskær ə, mæˈskɑr ə /

noun

a substance used as a cosmetic to color the eyelashes and eyebrows.

verb (used with object)

to apply mascara to.

mascara British

/ mæˈskɑːrə /

noun

a cosmetic substance for darkening, colouring, and thickening the eyelashes, applied with a brush or rod

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of mascara

1885–90; < Spanish: mask; mask

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.

Black mascara stained Leerdam’s cheeks as she skated around the arena, saluting the legion of Dutch fans that filled the stands.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

Where once they were garish young rockers buried under mascara, now they are garish older rockers, desperately hanging onto their youth.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2025

“My father would walk into the room and he would light it up,” she says, wiping her mascara in a confessional.

From Salon • May 5, 2025

They’ve even found their way into makeup; Hailey Bieber’s brand Rhode released a popular peptide-packed lip tint last year, and you can find them in mascara, eye shadow, blush … the list goes on.

From Slate • May 4, 2025

I shower and change, swipe on a little blush and mascara.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023