cosmetic

Etymology

From French cosmétique, from Ancient Greek κοσμητική (kosmētikḗ, “the art of dress and ornament”), κοσμητικός (kosmētikós), from κοσμητής (kosmētḗs, “orderer, director, decorator”), from κοσμέω (kosméō, “to order, to arrange, to rule, to adorn, to equip, to dress, to embellish”).

adj

1. Imparting or improving beauty, particularly the beauty of the complexion.
   Coordinate term: aesthetic
   a cosmetic preparation
2. External or superficial; pertaining only to the surface or appearance of something.
   Fortunately, the damage to the house was mostly cosmetic and a bit of paint covered it nicely.

noun

1. Any substances applied to enhance the external color or texture of the skin, e.g. lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner; makeup.
2. A feature existing only on the surface.
3. An intangible influence that improves the overall perception of some thing or situation.