Mascara, an assembly of persons masqued or disguised, meeting to dance and divert themselves. This was much in use with us, and has been long a very common practice abroad, especially in carnival time. The word comes from the Italian mascarata, and that from the Arabic mascara, which signifies "raillery, buffoonery." Granacci, who died in 1543, is said to have been the first inventor of masquerades.