war paint

American  

noun

1. paint applied by American Indians to their faces and bodies before going to war.

2. Informal. makeup; cosmetics.

3. Informal. full dress; regalia.

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war paint British  

noun

1. painted decoration of the face and body applied by certain North American Indians before battle

2. informal finery or regalia

3. informal cosmetics

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Etymology

Origin of war paint

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30

Example Sentences

Mostly clad in black and many with war paint on their faces, the mourners belonged to the tribal Kuki group, who are mostly Christian.

From BBC

“When you look at traditional war paint across the Americas, there’s no difference between that and corpse paint,” he said.

From New York Times

In 2020, the Chiefs banned headdresses and war paint in the stadium and pushed for cheerleaders to do the “chop” with a closed fist instead of an open hand.

From Seattle Times

Karl stood with his face to the charred building, soot striping it like war paint.

From Literature

Protests have followed the Chiefs on two Super Bowl trips, and last fall they barred headdresses and war paint for fans at Arrowhead Stadium.

From Seattle Times