cosmetics

From French cosmétique, from Ancient Greek κοσμητική (kosmētikḗ, “the art of dress and ornament”), from κοσμητικός (kosmētikós), an adjective of κοσμέω (kosméō, “to order, to arrange, to rule, to adorn, to equip, to dress, to embellish”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /kɒzˈmɛt.ɪks/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /kɑzˈmɛt.ɪks/, [kɑzˈmɛɾ.ɪks]
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /kɔzˈmet.ɪks/, [kɔzˈmeɾ.ɪks]

cosmetics pl (plural only)

1. Preparations applied externally to change or enhance the beauty of skin, hair, nails, lips, and eyes.

   Near-synonyms: makeup, make-up; beauty products

2. The way something looks; superficial appearance.

   Coordinate terms: aesthetics, aesthesis, esthetics, esthesis; optics (figurative sense)

   Near-synonym: cosmesis

   • 2004, Lewis Sorley, Vietnam Chronicles: The Abrams Tapes, 1968-1972, page 194:

     In the great fishbowl that we're doing everything in it's kind of unfortunate, but the cosmetics of the thing are more important than what's accomplished — in a great many ways.

cosmetics (uncountable)

1. The study of such products.