mustache

noun

mus·​tache ˈmə-ˌstash How to pronounce mustache (audio) (ˌ)mə-ˈstash How to pronounce mustache (audio)
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 How to pronounce mustache (audio)
(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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With a bowler hat, a toothbrush mustache, and a crook cane, Charlie Chaplin’s bumbling alter ego the Tramp lit up the big screen. — Michael Gioia, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026 With his mustache, accent and aviator shades, Ditka was to Chicago as Landry and his fedora were to Texas. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026 The faithful wore dark sunglasses and thick mustaches as a homage to their hero, a member of the College and Pro Football halls of fame. — Ira Kaufman, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026 Meir presented a how-to video for curly-haired spacewomen like herself, while Hathaway kept his bushy mustache — a space rarity — groomed to perfection. — Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mustache

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of mustache was in 1585

Phrases Containing mustache

Rhymes for mustache

See All Rhymes for mustache

Browse Nearby Words

must've
mustache
mustachio
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mustache.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mustache. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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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)

More from Merriam-Webster on mustache

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mustache

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