Mascot
nounAn animal, person, or figure adopted by a group or team as a symbol believed to bring good luck.
How to spell mascot
6 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce mascot
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does mascot mean?
- nounAn animal, person, or figure adopted by a group or team as a symbol believed to bring good luck.
Mascot in a sentence
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The football club unveiled a new mascot before the match.
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A fluffy lion served as the company mascot at the trade fair.
Where does mascot come from?
Language of origin: French
This word came into English from the French mascotte, which itself was borrowed from the Provençal word mascòta, a diminutive of masco meaning 'witch' or 'sorceress'. The underlying idea was a small charm or talisman believed to bring good luck to its owner. The word leapt into wide popularity in 1880 thanks to a hugely successful French operetta by Edmond Audran called La Mascotte, whose heroine was said to bring fortune to anyone she favoured. English speakers adopted it almost immediately during the 1880s, and the meaning soon broadened from a lucky charm to any animal, person, or figure adopted by a team or group as a symbol. The single 't' and the unfamiliar '-cot' ending trace straight back to that French and Provençal spelling, which is worth remembering since the temptation is to double the letters.
How the word is built
- mascot (from Provençal masco: witch, sorceress)
- diminutive sense 'little charm'
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