US /ˈkɑsˌt(j)um/ UK /ˈkɒs.tjuːm/
noun verb Freq #3209

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    A set of clothes worn to look like someone or something else, often for fun.

    We wore gorilla costumes to the party.

  2. 2
    noun

    The clothes worn by actors in a play or film.

    She won the prize for the best costume in the school play.

  3. 3
    noun

    The traditional clothing of a particular country, time, or people.

    The dancers wore the national costume of their region.

  4. 4
    verb

    To dress someone in a costume.

    The actors were costumed as soldiers from the medieval period.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
getupoutfit
Word family
Forms costumedcostumescostuming
Derived forms cossiecostumalcostumelesscostumercostumerycostumeycostumiccostumiercostumist
Related forms customcustomaryuniform

Etymology

Borrowed from French costume, from Italian costume, from Latin consuētūdō (“custom, habit”). Doublet of consuetude, custom, and kastom. Verb circa 1802, perhaps modelled on French costumer.

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Topics

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