mustache

noun

mus·​tache ˈmə-ˌstash  (ˌ)mə-ˈstash 

variants or less commonly moustache

1

: the hair growing on the human upper lip

especially : such hair grown and often trimmed in a particular style

his long mustache combed and waxed

—Henry Petroski

2

: hair or bristles about the mouth of a mammal

mustached adjective

or less commonly moustached

ˈmə-ˌstasht 

(ˌ)mə-ˈstasht

Examples of mustache in a Sentence

He used a small pair of scissors to trim his mustache.

He decided to grow a mustache.

The actor was wearing a false mustache.

Recent Examples on the Web

That transgression continued two years later, when Duchamp doodled a mustache and beard on a postcard of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and called it L.H.O.O.Q., which, when spoken aloud in French, sounded like an obscenity. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025

Sacramento Kings superstar Domantas Sabonis growing a Rollie Fingers signature mustache before throwing out the first pitch in Sunday’s A’s game with the Cleveland Guardians may have been the only thing that could’ve intensified the deja vu the now 32-48 home team felt. —Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 23 June 2025

Francisco wears a blue baseball cap and has a mustache. —Emily Witt, New Yorker, 22 June 2025

Or another excitedly talking you into having a curly mustache painted on your face. —Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French moustache, from Old Italian mustaccio, from Middle Greek moustaki, diminutive of Greek mystak-, mystax upper lip, mustache

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mustache

• Fu Manchu mustache
• handlebar mustache

Rhymes for mustache

• backlash
• chumash
• eyelash
• moustache
• noncash
• potash
• rehash
• whiplash
• ash
• bash
• brash
• cache

Kids Definition

mustache

noun

mus·​tache

variants also moustache

ˈməs-ˌtash,

(ˌ)məs-ˈtash

1

: the hair growing on the human upper lip

2

: hair or bristles about the mouth of a mammal (as a walrus)