mustachio
(mʊˈstɑːʃəʊ, -æ-, məs-)
Pl. mustachios (-ʃəʊz). Forms: α. (from It. and Sp.) 6 (mostacchi It. pl.), mustachyo(e, (quasi-Lat. mostachium), 6–7 mustaccio, mostacho, 6–9 mustachoe, 7 mustatioe, mustacheo, mostachoe, 7–8 mustacho, 7, 9 moustachio, 8 mustacio, 8–9 mustachioe, 6– mustachio; β. (corrupt forms) 6 moucheacheo, muschachoe, muchache, 6–7 mouchache, 7 mochachoe; 6 mowchatowe, mutchatoe, mutchado, 6–7 muschatoe, 7 m(o)uchato(e, mushato(e, mochatoe, muchate, mus(t)chadoe, mochedoe, monchato(e, munchattoe; mouthchato; 8 mouthacho.
[Adopted in 16th c., partly from Sp. mostacho, and partly from its source, It. mostaccio moustache, also face, snout, mostacchio moustache (cf. Albanian mustakes, Rumanian mustate moustache), a derivative of Gr. µυστακ-, µύσταξ masc. (also βύσταξ) moustache, a Doric word, commonly believed (notwithstanding the difference both in meaning and in gender) to be a dialectal variant of µάσταξ fem., mouth, jaws.
In the 16–17th c. the word appears in a multitude of corrupt forms due to imperfect apprehension or recollection of the sound. Some of them suggest a pseudo-etymological association with Sp. muchacho boy.
In the sing. the word is almost or entirely obsolete, being superseded by moustache; but the plural mustachios has considerable currency, sometimes occurring in books that have moustache in the singular. With regard to the pronunciation of the first syllable cf. moustache.]
1. The hair on the upper lip: = moustache 1 a.
| α 1551 W. Thomas tr. Barbaro's Trav. Persia (1873) 35 They suffer their mostacchi to growe a quarter of a yarde longer than their beardes. [marg.] Mostacchi is the berde of the vpper lyppe. 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. i. 110 It will please his Grace..sometime to..dallie with my excrement, with my mustachio. 1598 Florio, Mostaccio, Mostazzo, a face, a snout, a mostacho. 1603 Dekker Wonderfull Yeare B 2, The Souldier..had brisseld vp the quills of his stiffe Porcupine mustachio. 1612 Shelton Quix. ii. x. (1620) 63 Her beautie..was infinitely increased by a Moale she had vpon her lippe, like a Mostacho, with seuen or eight red haires like threeds of gold, and aboue a handfull long. 1621 J. Taylor (Water-P.) Superb. Flagellum C 8, Some their mustatioes of such length doe keepe, That very well they may a maunger sweepe. 1650 R. Stapylton Strada's Low C. Warres v. 110 They [the covenanters] began to cut their beards, leaving onely great mustachios, turned up like Turks. 1712 Budgell Spect. No. 331 ¶11 A distinct Treatise, which I keep by me in Manuscript, upon the Mustachoe. 1728 Morgan Algiers II. iv. 271 Twirling his starched Mustachio. 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. II. 392 The court of Madrid has of late been at great pains to clear their upper lip of mustachoes. 1811 Wellington in Gurw. Desp. (1837) VII. 319 Almost all the artillerymen wore mustachios, which I think is contrary to your orders. 1852 Longfellow Emperor's Bird's Nest v, As he twirled his gray mustachio. |
| β 1565 Willes in Hakluyt's Voy. (1599) II. ii. 85 Sauage men..with huge beards and monstrous muchaches. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 50 It is a world to consider, how their mowchatowes must be preserued and laid out, from one cheke to another, yea, almost from one eare to another. 1592 Arden of Feversham ii. i. 54 His chinne was bare, but on his vpper lippe A mutchado, which he wound about his eare. 1596 Spenser State Irel. Wks. (Globe) 635/1 To cutt of all theyr beardes close, save only theyr muschachoes which they weare long. 1615 R. Brathwait Strappado, The Epistle Dedicatorie. To all..Ladies, Monkies..and Catomitoes,..false-haires, periwigges, mouchatoes:..and Shee-painters. Send I greeting [etc.]. 1631 R. H. Arraignm. Whole Creature xv. §3. 263 Entertaining of Taylers, Barbers, Perfumers, to teach them how to cut their beards: weare their Love-locks: turne vp their Mushatoes [etc.]. |
b. The hair on one side of the upper lip:
= moustache 1 b.
| α 1579 G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camden) 61 The clippings of your thris-honorable mustachyoes. 1592 Lyly Midas iii. ii, Wil you haue..your mustachoes sharp? 1598 R. Haydocke tr. Lomazzo i. 30 Those long haires..vpon the vpper lip, the mostachiums. 1638 Baker tr. Balzac's Lett. (vol. III.) 108 The Cavalier..consists wholly of a Pickdevant, and two Mustachoes. 1668 R. L'Estrange Vis. Quev. (1708) 88 He was a little severe upon his Guides, for disordering his Mustachoes. 1719 De Foe Crusoe i. 177 Of these Mustachioes or Whiskers, I will not say they were long enough to hang my Hat upon them; but [etc.]. 1787 Gentl. Mag. Nov. 952/1 The face [on a coin] is without a beard, but hath mustacios on the upper lip. 1825–9 Mrs. Sherwood Lady of Manor IV. xxiii. 15 A pair of large mustachoes. 1884 W. S. Gilbert Princess Ida, He grew moustachios. |
| β 1579 J. Jones Preserv. Bodie & Soule i. xviii. 32 The space betweene the Nose ende and the vpper lippe, whence the heare groweth,.. and is termed after the Spanishe phrase Moucheacheos. 1592 Greene Upst. Courtier D 4, The barber..asketh..if it be his pleasure to haue..his mustachios [1620, D 2 b mouchaches] fostered to turne about his eares like the branches of a vine. 1615 R. Brathwait Strappado (1878) 108 His peak't munchattoes. 1620 J. Pyper tr. Hist. Astrea I. ii. 19 The haire, the eye-browes, the mouthchatos, the beard. 1648–58 Hexham, De Knevel-baerdt, the Muschadoes on the upper-lipp. 1650 Trapp Comm. Lev. xiii. 45 A covering upon his upper lip. His mouchaches, that by his breath hee might not infect others. ? 1651 in H. Cary Mem. Gt. Civil War (1842) II. 446 The king being told who it was, replied merrily, ‘I did not like his starched mouchates’. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 391/1 The British Beard hath long Mochedoes on the higher lip hanging down either side the chin, all the rest of the face being bare. 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 104 If you find him with Mouthacho's, he is certainly a Size above ordinary in his own Conceit. |
† c. Plural form with
sing. construction.
Obs.| c 1592 Marlowe Jew of Malta iv. (1633) H j, A fellow Met me with a muschatoes like a Rauens wing. 1612 N. Field Woman is a Weathercock v. i, Abra... And a huge Mustachios? Neu. A verie Turkes. |
d. = moustache 1 c.
| 1612 Shelton Quix. i. iii. vi. (1652) 39 b, Torralua the Sheepheardesse..was a round wench,..and drew somewhat neere to a man, for shee had Mochachoes. |
e. A false moustache. Also with
a and
pl.| 1622 tr. Luna's Pursuit Lazarillo 30 Foure of them..came and tooke me vp, and..put me on a Beard, not forgetting the great Mustachios, and a Perewig made of Mosse, that made me shew like a wild man in a Garden. 1716 Addison Freeholder No. 7 ¶2 They..clapt him on a huge pair of Mustachoes to frighten his people with. 1902 J. C. Snaith Wayfarers xvii, Attaching..a pair of moustachios to his upper lip. |
† 2. pl. The hair on the lip of an animal;
† the ‘whiskers’ of a cat. Also, the awn or bristles of certain grasses;
= beard n. 6.
Obs.| 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas i. iii. 811 Here for our food, Millions of flow'ry grains, With long Mustachoes, wave upon the Plains. 1634 S. R. Noble Soldier ii. i. in Bullen O. Pl. I. 276 My Barbour..poak'd out My Tuskes more stiffe than are a cats muschatoes. 1635 R. Brathwait Arcad. Pr. 219 An ambitious fire-flye..fals down, and cingeth his braving mouchate's for his labour. 1651 H. More Second Lash in Enthus. Tri., etc. (1656) 214 Have you made sport with the mustacho's of it in the figure of a mouse? 1665 Hooke Microgr. 157 The Mustacheos of a Cat. 1693 Sir T. P. Blount Nat. Hist. 9 The Civet-Cat..hath..Mustachios like a Cat. 1790 Bruce Trav. Source Nile V. 138 He [the Fennec] had strong thick mustachoes. |
3. attrib. and
Comb., as
mustachio-twiddler;
† mustachio beard, a moustache.
| 1566 Drant Horace, Sat. i. ii. B ij, Fashions, in nottynge of the heare,..and mustacho beardes. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xiv, Said the moustachio-twiddler. |