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

The Arkansas Department of Corrections on Tuesday released a new image of Hardin sporting a short beard and mustache. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 4 June 2025

That mustache, eyebrows, so free and wild, so brash and irreverent. —Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025

To build his character’s look, Hamill asked the hair and makeup team to bleach out all the color from his hair and mustache, then tried on a few pairs of glasses. —Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025

He’s got a paper-thin mustache and a shrub of chin hair to match. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 May 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)