cosmetics

What it means

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

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

   Synonyms: makeup, make-up, beauty product

2. pluralplural onlyThe way something looks; superficial appearance.

   Near-synonym: cosmesis

   1 more example

   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.

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

   Synonyms: cosmesis

In a sentence

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

Where it comes from

1. Ancient Greekκοσμητική“the art of dress and ornament”
2. Frenchcosmétique
3. Englishcosmetics

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”).