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

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Etymology

Origin of mascot

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

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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

Meta’s Muse, a computer errand boy that lives in a smartphone app, has a furry, rotund little mascot.

From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026

A bank in New Zealand has found itself at the centre of an unlikely free speech row after an attempt to remove "explicit" memes about its sheep mascot from social media.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

Panda Express is expanding its marketing in Roblox and Fortnite, saying initial forays like integrating its panda mascot and Original Orange Chicken boosted brand awareness and restaurant visits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

At one point during his talk, an image flashed on the screen behind him of its Muse mascot embracing a blue padlock.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

A top seller can win a giant stuffed ram, our school mascot.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

Alex Kirshner argues that the rise of these cute little mascots is “a natural pivot point in not just A.I. design but public messaging.”

From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026

But college football fans chant during games, which feature marching bands and spirit squads - made up of cheerleaders, dancers and mascots.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Sugary cereals are generally placed on lower shelves in stores, the better for children to see the cheery packaging and cartoon mascots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

The two sons of a police officer killed in a crash on Teesside will lead out the Manchester United team as mascots for Sunday's Premier League match against Ipswich at Old Trafford.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

The queen’s sister, Empress Marie of Russia, took photographs during the royal inspection, and afterward, the eager fans who mobbed the dock gave the crew teddy bears and other mascots to carry south.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

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