concealer
UK[kənˈsiːlə(r)]US[kənˈsiːlər]
n
A cosmetic preparation used to cover blemishes, dark circles, or other imperfections on the skin.
Morpheme Breakdown
conceal
er
conceal
to hide completely
er
Etymology
The word "concealer" is a modern English compound built from the verb "conceal" and the agent suffix "-er." The verb "conceal" entered English via Old French from the Latin 'concelare', a combination of the intensive prefix 'com-' (thoroughly) and 'celare' (to hide). The Latin root 'celare' can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root ḱel-, meaning "to cover, conceal, or save." The "-er" suffix follows a productive Germanic pattern for creating nouns denoting instruments or agents. Thus, the literal logic of "concealer" is "a thing that thoroughly hides," which perfectly describes its function in masking skin imperfections.
Analysis
Structure: conceal + er
conceal: From Latin 'concelare', meaning 'to hide completely'. It functions as the core verb root.
er: An English agent noun suffix, indicating a person or thing that performs the action of the verb.
Examples
She applied a small amount of concealer under her eyes to hide the dark circles.
This full-coverage concealer effectively masks acne scars and redness.
He always keeps a stick of concealer in his makeup kit for quick touch-ups.