cosmetic

views updated

cos·met·ic / käzˈmetik/ • adj. involving or relating to treatment intended to restore or improve a person's appearance: cosmetic surgery. ∎  designed or serving to improve the appearance of the body, esp. the face. ∎  affecting only the appearance of something rather than its substance: the reform package was merely a cosmetic exercise.• n. (usu. cosmetics) a product applied to the body, esp. the face, to improve its appearance.DERIVATIVES: cos·met·i·cal·ly / -(ə)lē/ adv.

More From encyclopedia.com