kohl
/koʊl/
noun
Origin
Arabic
kuḥl — antimony, antimony powder
Overview
Meaning Now
- A cosmetic, typically a black powder based on galena (lead sulfide) or antimony, used to darken the eyelids or lashes.
Literal older meaning
black powder
Language path
Proto-Semitic → Arabic → English
Earliest form
kohl
Earliest period
18th century
Journey
Kohl has been used in the Near East, North Africa, and South Asia since the Bronze Age. Beyond its aesthetic use to darken the eyes, it was historically applied for medicinal purposes—specifically to protect the eyes from harsh desert sun and to ward off eye infections, as many mineral-based kohl preparations have antibacterial properties.
Evolution
- Proto-Semitic
*kuḥl-
“powdered substance”
- Arabic
kuḥl
“antimony powder, collyrium”
Used for the fine powder used in cosmetic and medicinal eye applications.
- Modern English
kohl
“dark eye cosmetic”
Adopted into English from Arabic to describe the traditional Middle Eastern eye makeup.
Connections
Word parts
kohl
root
black powder, antimony
Related across languages
Turkish
sürme
kohl (literally: application)
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.