mascot

noun

mas·​cot ˈma-ˌskät How to pronounce mascot (audio)
also -skət
Synonyms of mascotnext
: a person, animal, or object adopted by a group as a symbolic figure especially to bring them good luck
the team had a mountain lion as their mascot

Synonyms of mascot

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Examples of mascot in a Sentence

The team had a mountain lion as their mascot. she wears a mascot made of ebony and silver on a chain around her neck
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Gillian Jacobs as Jerri Dougan Gerry was the starting quarterback for the Catfish at the beginning of the first season until Danny (Frankie Rodriguez) — the school mascot who helps turn Russ into Chad and keep up his illusion — trips him. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026 Whether fans love it or hate it, the pairing has generated plenty of conversation ahead of the NFL season and has given Steelers Nation an unexpected new mascot to debate. — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 It is named Hexura Vandal, after the U of I’s Vandal mascot, according to a press release from the university. — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 2 Sep. 2026 History-making women in front offices and on the sidelines, mascots, and even team names can inspire standing-ovation-worthy choices for a new bundle of joy. — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mascot

Word History

Etymology

French mascotte, from Occitan mascoto, from masco witch, from Medieval Latin masca

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mascot was in 1881

Rhymes for mascot

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Browse Nearby Words

mascon
mascot
Mascouche
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Cite this Entry

“Mascot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mascot. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

mascot

noun
mas·​cot ˈmas-ˌkät How to pronounce mascot (audio)
also -kət
: a person, animal, or object supposed to bring good luck
Etymology

from French mascotte "mascot," from a Romance word mascoto "charm," literally "little witch," from masco "witch," from Latin masca "witch"

Word Origin
The word mascot is an example of words that come to have a more pleasant meaning as they develop through the years and through many languages. The ancestor of mascot is the Latin word masca, used in the Middle Ages to mean "witch." Masca passed into the Romance speech of southern France as masco. Later it developed a derivative mascoto, literally meaning "little witch" but actually used to mean "charm" or "magic spell." A magic spell can be used for good as well as bad. Already, then, we have the beginnings of a change to a nicer idea in the basic use of the word. The word mascoto came to be mascotte in modern French, meaning a "good luck charm." It was made popular by the operetta La Mascotte in 1880. In this operetta "la mascotte" is the lovely young woman Bettina, whose influence brings victories to the army of the prince of Pisa. English later borrowed the word as mascot, with the meaning "a person or thing thought to bring good luck." Today the word is often used to refer to an animal chosen by a school or college as a good luck symbol for its sports teams.

More from Merriam-Webster on mascot

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mascot

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