Origin: 1890–95; < F, equiv. to maquill(er) to apply makeup (orig. theater argot, perh. to be identified with OF masquillier blacken, smear, akin to mascurer, mascherer, v. deriv. of VL *mascar-;see masquerade) + -age-age
ma·quil·lage (mä'kē-äzh') n. Cosmetic or theatrical makeup.
[French, from maquiller, to apply makeup, from Old French macquiller, to work, from Old North French maquier, from Middle Dutch maken, to make; see mag- in Indo-European roots.]