stache

IPA/stæʃ/
IPA/stæʃ/

stache — noun

1. an informal word for the hair that grows above a person's upper lip

1.nounB2
Definition

an informal word for the hair that grows above a person's upper lip

Example

Asher shaved his stache before the wedding photos last weekend.

shave + possessive + stache

The barber trimmed Lakan's stache into a thin line above his lip.

trim + possessive + stache

Common collocations
  • grow a stache
  • trim your stache
  • shave your stache
  • fake stache
  • thick stache
  • curly stache
Synonyms
  • moustache

    the full standard form, especially common in British spelling and careful writing

  • mustache

    the American spelling of the full standard form

Antonyms
  • clean-shaven

    describes a face with no visible beard or moustache

Grammar Patterns

grow a stache

shave/trim a stache

fake stache

Usage Note

Strongly informal and often playful in tone. In formal writing, barbering guides, or product descriptions, the full form 'moustache' is usually preferred.

Common Mistakes

The police report said the man had a thick stache.
The police report said the man had a thick moustache.
'stache' sounds too casual for formal or official writing.
He stroked the stache on his chin.
He stroked the beard on his chin.
'stache' only refers to hair above the upper lip, not hair on the chin.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Stache' is the playful, highly informal short form. Friends might say it when joking about someone's look, a costume, or a barber visit. 'Moustache' is the full standard word and is the safer choice in careful writing; 'mustache' is the same word in the usual American spelling. 'Beard' is broader and covers hair on the cheeks and chin, so it cannot replace 'stache' when you mean hair only above the upper lip. 'Goatee' is even narrower: it refers to a pointed beard on the chin, sometimes with a moustache but not necessarily. If you are writing formally, choose 'moustache' or 'mustache'; if you are teasing a friend about a new look, 'stache' sounds natural.

stache ↗moustache ↗mustache ↗beard ↗goatee ↗

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

'Stache' is a clipped informal form of 'moustache'. The older word came into English through French 'moustache' and ultimately goes back to Greek 'mystax', meaning the upper lip or the hair on it. English speakers later shortened the word in casual speech to make it quicker and more playful.