mascot

mas·cot  (mskt, -kt)

n.

A person, animal, or object believed to bring good luck, especially one kept as the symbol of an organization such as a sports team.

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[French mascotte, sorcerer's charm, mascot, from Provençal mascoto, sorcery, fetish, from masco, witch, ultimately from Medieval Latin masca, mask, specter, witch.]

Word History: A giant strutting bird leading a cheer at the homecoming game may seem a far cry from a witch fashioning a charm or spell, but these two figures are related historically in the development of the word mascot. Mascot came into English as a borrowing of the French word mascotte, meaning "mascot, charm." The English word is first recorded in 1881 shortly after the French word, itself first recorded in 1867, was popularized by the opera La Mascotte, performed in December 1880. The French word in turn came from the Provençal word mascoto, "piece of witchcraft, charm, amulet," a feminine diminutive of masco, "witch." This word can probably be traced back to Medieval Latin masca, "witch, specter." Thus for all their apparent differences, yesterday's witches and today's cuddly mascots can be seen in the same light, as agents working their respective magic to bring about a desired outcome.

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mascot [ˈmæskət]

n

a person, animal, or thing considered to bring good luck

[from French mascotte, from Provençal mascotto charm, from masco witch]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

mascot - a person or animal that is adopted by a team or other group as a symbolic figure organism, being - a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently

Translations

mascot [ˈmæskət] N → mascota f

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mascot [ˈmæskɒt] n → mascotte f

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mascot

n → Maskottchen nt

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mascot [ˈmæskət] n → mascotte f inv, portafortuna m inv

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mascot [ˈmæskət] n → mascotte f inv, portafortuna m inv

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mascot

n mascot [ˈmӕskət]

a person, animal or thing supposed to bring good luck. gelukbringer جَلاّب الحَظ талисман maskot maskot; lykkedyr das Maskottchen γούρι, μασκότ mascota maskott قربانی maskotti mascotte קָמֵיע शुभंकर donosilac sreće, maskota kabala maskot heilla-/lukkugripur, lukkudÿr mascotte, portafortuna マスコット 마스코트 talismanas talismans maskot mascotte maskot, lykkedyr maskotka mascote mascotă талисман maskot, talizman, amulet maskota maskota maskot สิ่งนำโชค maskot, uğur 吉祥物 талісман مبارک شے ، شخص ، جانور وغیرہ linh vật 吉祥物