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Glite Dictionary
🎶 A folk instrument 👁️ Eye cosmetic
surma

surma

9.9
A black powder used to line the eyes in South Asia
  • noun
  • Indian
translation icon : kohl
  • Her grandmother taught her how to apply surma safely and evenly.

Examples

  • She applied surma to her eyes for the wedding.

  • The shop sold various types of surma in small decorative containers.

  • Many women in Pakistan use surma to enhance the beauty of their eyes.

  • Many women in India use surma daily.

  • Many women in Pakistan use surma to enhance the beauty of their eyes.

  • She learned from her grandmother how to use surma to line her eyes for special occasions.

  • The shop featured a range of surma products, each designed to create a striking eye look.

Synonyms

kohl
vssurma
32 9.2

A black powder used around the eyes as makeup

is mainly South Asian and specifically a powder form for lining the eyes

Surface Forms

surma singular
surmas plural

Etymology

Surma for eye make-up comes from the Persian word surma meaning 'antimony', a mineral used to make black powder. So surma today is the traditional black liner people put around the eyes, much like the English word 'kohl'.