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# costume

«costume» in Mova's school dictionary: **a set of special clothes worn to look like someone or…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (costume, costumes); adjective use (costume party)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A costume is a set of special clothes worn to look like someone or something else: a pirate costume, a Halloween costume. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/costume/#m1)

2) A costume is the clothes worn by actors in a play or film. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/costume/#m2)

3) A costume is the clothes typical of a country or a time in history: national costume, Victorian costume. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/costume/#m3)

4) In the UK, Ireland and Australia, a (swimming) costume is a swimsuit (Australia also «cozzie»). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/costume/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life: children wear costumes for Halloween, World Book Day (dressed as book characters), school plays and fancy-dress parties. In history lessons, pupils look at costumes from Victorian, Roman or Tudor times. Safety: Halloween costumes should let you see well and be seen in the dark (reflective tape, a torch) and be fire-safe — keep away from candles; masks can block vision. Phrases: dress up in a costume, fancy-dress costume, costume party, national costume, swimming costume.

### examples

- I'm going as a dragon in my Halloween costume. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/costume/#x1)
- On World Book Day, I dressed as the Gruffalo. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/costume/#x2)
- The actors changed costumes between scenes. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/costume/#x3)
- Don't forget your swimming costume for the lesson. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/costume/#x4)
- In Scotland, a kilt is part of the national costume. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/costume/#x5)
- We looked at Victorian costumes at the museum. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/costume/#x6)
- Make sure your mask lets you see the road. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/costume/#x7)
- "But one of the Princes wears just the same costume." [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/costume/#x8)

### note

Countable: costumes. Do not confuse with «custom» (a tradition or habit) or «customer». In American English, «swimsuit» or «bathing suit»; in British English also «swimming costume». A costume is worn for fun or a part, not as everyday clothing.

### In the corpora

- [Live shows often have small disasters, so teams keep safety pins, tape and spare costumes ready.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/28-the-school-play-auditions-lines-stage-fright/9/)
- [An excuse that is not true, like «the dog ate my homework», is a lie in a costume.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/336-little-lies-at-home/16/)
- [That is bullying in a costume.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/439-cruel-pranks-and-where-the-line-is/5/)
- [Schools often keep spare kit, like swimming costumes and PE shoes, and lend it quietly to children who need it.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/487-money-is-tight-free-meals-and-second-hand-uniform/27/)
- [Vikings did not wear horned helmets; that idea came from costumes in a 19th-century opera.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/history/20-the-middle-ages-begin-the-vikings/10/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «costume» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/costume/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.