mascot

mascot — noun

1. an animal, person, or symbol that a team, school, or business uses as its offici

1.nounB1
Definition

an animal, person, or symbol that a team, school, or business uses as its official sign and that people sometimes think will bring success in games or other events

Example

The school's mascot, a big green dragon named Blaze, leads the team onto the field before every game.

collocation: school mascot / team mascot

The company chose a smiling sun as its mascot to show warmth and friendliness.

mascot for a brand or company

Common collocations
  • team mascot
  • school mascot
  • official mascot
  • mascot costume
  • mascot character
  • mascot of the Olympics
Synonyms
  • emblem

    a design or image representing a group, usually on flags or official items rather than a costumed character

  • symbol

    a broader term for anything that stands for something else; less specific to costumed characters

  • talisman

    an object believed to bring good luck but typically small and personal, not a performing character

  • icon

    a famous person or image seen as representing a culture or era; used more broadly than mascot

Grammar Patterns

mascot + of + [organization]

mascot + for + [event]

Usage Note

A mascot is usually a costumed character who performs at events, unlike a logo which is only a design. This word is very common in sports, school, and brand contexts.

Common Mistakes

The zoo's mascot is a panda.' (when the panda is just an animal living there).
The zoo chose a cartoon panda as its mascot for the children's education program.
A mascot is a chosen symbol that represents a group at events; not every member of a species kept by an organization qualifies.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe something that stands for something else. A mascot is a living or costumed character (animal, person, or personified object) that a team, school, or brand uses at events to build spirit and represent the group — for example, a university's tiger mascot high-fiving fans in the stands. An emblem is a static design or image, often official, such as a national emblem on a passport. Symbol is the broadest category, covering anything that represents another thing, from a dove (symbol of peace) to a corporate logo. A talisman is a small personal object believed to hold magical luck, carried in a pocket or worn as jewellery. An icon is a widely recognised figure or image with cultural significance, like a religious icon or a pop-culture icon. While mascots are active, public, and costumed, talismans are personal and spiritual, emblems are formal and official, icons are cultural symbols, and the word symbol can include all of these. Choose mascot when you mean a character in costume at games or school rallies.

mascot ↗emblemsymbol ↗talismanicon ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • mascot of the team
  • mascot for the event
  • serve as the mascot
  • chosen as the mascot

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinProvençalFrenchEnglish

Mascot comes from the French word mascotte, which means 'lucky charm'. The French got it from the Provençal word mascoto (meaning 'witchcraft' or 'charm'), which came from masco ('witch'), and that goes back to Late Latin masca ('witch' or 'ghost'). The modern meaning — a character or figure that represents a group and is thought to bring luck — became popular in France in the late 1800s, and English speakers adopted it around 1881.