Pomating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Applying a greasy scented cream or pomade to the hair in order to style or shine it
2. Working a fragrant oily hair dressing into the hair to slick it back or give it sheen
3. Smoothing a waxy cosmetic grease through the hair so it holds a neat shape and gleams

Etymology: "Pomating" is the present participle of "pomate," a verb meaning to apply pomade or ointment to the hair or skin. The verb traces back to the Latin "pōmum," meaning "fruit" or "apple," with the suffix "-ātum" added to form a noun. Medieval Latin then used "pomatum" for both cider and ointment, a pairing that reveals how closely the two were once linked in the apple-based preparations of the period. Pomatum arrived in English as a borrowing, and the word eventually split into several English forms. "Pomade" and "pomatum" are doublets, meaning they come from the same source but reached English by different routes and took on distinct shapes. "Pomace," the pulpy residue left after apples are pressed for cider, shares that same apple root, so the family of words ties together fruit, drink, and cosmetic in a single origin.