Pomading

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The technique of applying a thick substance to hair for desired styling results involves enhancing the appearance and manageability of hair
2. The act of spreading a greasy or waxy substance through hair to style and hold it in place
3. Using a thick, oily product to shape hair and keep it neat throughout the day

Etymology: "Pomading" is the present participle of "pomade," so it describes the act of slicking hair down with a greasy preparation. The noun underneath it began as a kitchen ingredient: "pomade" comes from French "pommade," which was borrowed from Italian "pomata," meaning ointment. That Italian word is built from "pomo," apple, plus a suffix "-ata," and it traces back to Latin "pomum," meaning fruit or apple. The apple connection is the surprising part. Early pomades were usually various kinds of fat mixed with apples, which gave the mixture a more pleasing scent. So a product now associated with barbershops and slick hairstyles started life as a fruity-smelling salve. English also has "pomatum," "pomate," and "pomace" as doublets, forms that entered the language by different routes from the same Latin root.