ENGLISH
REFERENCE

costume

n. C / U
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ˈkɑstum// UK //kˈɒstjuːm// cos·tume General-service

n. a set of clothes worn by an actor or someone trying to look like a different person. You wear this for a play, a movie, or a party.

n. a style of dress, including garments and accessories, worn by an actor or performer to portray a character. Often used to describe clothing typical of a particular historical period or social class.


SIMPLE

She wears a pirate costume for the party.

CONTEXTUAL

The actors spent two hours in the dressing room putting on their elaborate Victorian costumes before the show.

COMPLEX

The film's production designer insisted on authentic fabrics for every costume to ensure the historical drama felt grounded in the reality of the eighteenth century.

Origin

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.

Usage

Countable when referring to a specific outfit; uncountable when referring to the general style of dress from a period or country.

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