mascot

American  

[mas-kot, -kuht] / ˈmæs kɒt, -kət /

noun

mascots plural

1. an animal, person, or thing adopted by a group as its representative symbol and supposed to bring good luck.

   The U.S. Navy mascot is a goat.

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mascot British  

/ ˈmæskət /

noun

1. a person, animal, or thing considered to bring good luck

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mascots
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mascot

1880–85; < French mascotte < Provençal mascoto talisman, charm, derivative of masco sorceress. See mask

Explanation

A mascot is an animal or character that represents a group. If your high school soccer team is called "the weasels," it means that a weasel must be your school's mascot. Some mascots supposedly bring luck to an organization or club, and others are used as marketing for a team or brand. Smokey the Bear is the mascot of the U.S. Forest Service and stars in commercials urging the public to help prevent forest fires. Tony the Tiger is also a mascot of sorts, for Frosted Flakes cereal. Sports team mascots actually appear at games and matches, dancing around between innings and high-fiving little kids in the stands.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mascot mascots

Times reported that Native Americans were calling for the elimination of Fullerton High School’s warrior mascot, but the school denied complete removal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

The alumni-relations office emailed a winsome sketch of the school’s mascot, Jack the Bulldog, in party hat and surrounded by balloons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

It comes from a bald eagle known as "Old Abe" -- named for president Abraham Lincoln -- that served as a mascot to Union troops in over 30 battles in the US Civil War.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

No pet dragons, though — just a baby unicorn, representing the fantasy mascot ruling many of that era’s pre-teen accessory drawers.

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026

And he was sent to the United States to become an army mascot.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

However, the law contains a provision that would allow some districts to keep their mascots and names if they receive written consent from a local, federally recognized tribe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

Patterson says: "Individual brand mascots will begin to talk to us on a one-to-one level and try to persuade us to do things. It's a bit creepy, isn't it?"

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

"Since the 1960s, mascots have been a really powerful tool for building brands," says Patterson.

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

Cowboy Bob, who is about 20 feet tall, plays guitar and wears a bolo tie, is one of several oversize fiberglass mascots along 11th Street in the Meadow Gold District of Tulsa.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

In between innings, there’s a cartoon mascot race on the Jumbotron, where you’re supposed to pick one of the Philadelphia mascots and root for it.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison