costume

Costume (kstm or ks-tm), n.

Etymology: [F. costume, It. costume custom, dress, fr. L. consuetumen (not found), for consuetudo custom. See Custom, and cf. Consuetude.]

1. Dress in general; esp., the distinctive style of dress of a people, class, or period.

2. Such an arrangement of accessories, as in a picture, statue, poem, or play, as is appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances represented or described. I began last night to read Walter Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel . . . .I was extremely delighted with the poetical beauty of some parts . . . .The costume, too, is admirable. Sir J. Mackintosh.

3. A character dress, used at fancy balls or for dramatic purposes.

Shades of meaning

Fernald has no entry of its own for costume; he lists it under dress.

Where he writes about it:

Costume is chiefly used for that which befits an assumed character; as, a theatrical costume; we sometimes speak of a national costume, etc. — from dress

Synonyms

dress apparel array attire clothes clothing garb garments habiliments habit raiment robes uniform vestments vesture

Antonyms

bareness disarray dishabille exposure nakedness nudity undress

etymology Webster’s online