mascara

American  

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

noun

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

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verb (used with object)

1. to apply mascara to.

mascara British  

/ mæˈskɑːrə /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of mascara

1885–90; < Spanish: mask; see mask

Explanation

Mascara is makeup that makes your eyelashes look longer and thicker. If you wear mascara while watching a really sad movie, you may end up with black smudges under your eyes. Some people wear mascara every day, to darken their lashes or accent their eyes. Others save mascara — along with lipstick and eye shadow — for special occasions. Some form of mascara has been around for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Egypt, when kohl was used to color eyelashes. In English, this cosmetic was called mascaro from the 1880s until the 1920s, from the Italian word maschera, or "mask."

Example Sentences

She orders groceries, sanitary napkins and cosmetics like mascara, saving herself a weekly grocery-store run.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 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

A film of sw'eat covers every inch of my skin, the inside of my mouth prickles, my eyes itch, mascara rubbed into their corners.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins