war paint

1. Pigments applied to the face or body in preparation for battle, as in certain traditional societies.

2. Informal Cosmetics such as lipstick, rouge, or mascara.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

war paint

1. (Anthropology & Ethnology) painted decoration of the face and body applied by certain North American Indians before battle

2. (Clothing & Fashion) informal finery or regalia

3. (Clothing & Fashion) informal cosmetics

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

war′ paint`

1. paint applied by American Indians to their faces and bodies before going to war.

2. Informal. makeup; cosmetics.

3. Informal. full dress; regalia.

[1820–30, Amer.]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	war paint - adornment consisting of paint applied to the face and body of certain Amerindians before a battle adornment - a decoration of color or interest that is added to relieve plainness
	2.	war paint - full ceremonial regalia raiment, regalia, array - especially fine or decorative clothing colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech
	3.	war paint - cosmetics applied to the face to improve or change your appearance makeup, make-up blackface - the makeup (usually burnt cork) used by a performer in order to imitate a Negro cosmetic - a toiletry designed to beautify the body eyebrow pencil - makeup provided by a cosmetic pencil that is used to darken the eyebrows eyeliner - makeup applied to emphasize the shape of the eyes eyeshadow - makeup consisting of a cosmetic substance used to darken the eyes face powder - cosmetic powder for the face greasepaint - a greasy substance used as makeup by actors kohl - a cosmetic preparation used by women in Egypt and Arabia to darken the edges of their eyelids lip-gloss - makeup that makes the lips shiny lip rouge, lipstick - makeup that is used to color the lips mascara - makeup that is used to darken and thicken the eye lashes rouge, blusher, paint - makeup consisting of a pink or red powder applied to the cheeks

Translations

war paint

n → pitture fpl di guerra (dei pellirosse)

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

The Mohawk and the Huron tribes extracted an orange/red dye and used it as war paint, but it also served as a powerful midge and mosquito repellent; it was this practice which led to the discovery that the plant was effective in removing moles and warts.

Plant of the Week: Plant used for war paint can treat warts and moles

The 31-year-old actress said make-up reminds her of the war paint her ancestors used.

'Make-up reminds me of my ancestors'

She will be competing against previous Tony winners Christine Ebersole ('War Paint'), Patti LuPone ('War Paint') and Bette Midler ('Hello, Dolly!'), and fellow newcomer Denee Benton ('Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812').

Fil-Am 'Miss Saigon' actress Eva Noblezada earns Tony nod

Well, she's up against not one but both stars of War Paint, including Patti LuPone as Jewish makeup magnate Helena Rubinstein (the show didn't fare well nomination-wise overall, but its costumes, by Catherine Zuber, stand a real chance).

So Many Jews Have Been Nominated for 2017 Tony Awards!

Nonprofit leaders and commercial producers involved in three of this spring's Broadway musicals--Come From Away, Amelie, A New Musical (which had early productions in California at Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Los Angeles's Center Theatre Group); and War Paint (Chicago's Goodman Theatre)--shared with American Theatre the show business stories of their journeys to New York.

3 nonprofit/broadway duets: how 'Come From Away,' "Amelie,' and "War Paint' found their footing in resident theatres before stepping up to NYC

In War Paint, which Christopher Gattelli is choreographing, the generals are the 20th-century cosmetics tycoons Helena Rubinstein (Patti LuPone) and Elizabeth Arden (Christine Ebersole).

Spring awakening: Broadway choreographers bring a treasure trove of new shows to the stage

The sophisticated and rewarding new musical "War Paint," about the decades-spanning rivalry of cosmetic titans Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, manages to be many things at once.

War Pint

The criminal with creepy facial scars and war paint arrives to spark a new wave of criminal chaos.

tv films

Somewhere in style between War Paint and Metronomy and past Peaking Lights, Stealing Sheep produce a silky blend of psychedelic synthpop that doesn't seem to be tied to any particular era, but full of hazy, uber-cool sounds laced with super-sweet female harmonies.

DJANGO DJANGO UNCHAINED IN MAIDEN CITY

I was there on Thursday night for its fiendishly tough pub quiz - a respectable third place finish, thanks for asking - and enjoyed a golden War Paint from Bradford's Salamander Brewery, as well as a crisp Dom Kolsch.

Ship sails across the Mersey for beer showcase; Perfect PINT ALISTAIR HOUGHTON on beer