fard
verb
ˈfärd 
farded; farding; fards
transitive verb
1
: to paint (the face) with cosmetics
2
archaic : to gloss over
fard noun archaic
Did you know?
The Connection Between Fard and Cosmetics
Though a relatively uncommon little word, fard is used to describe a very familiar activity-the application of cosmetics. When it is encountered these days it is often in participle form or simply as an example of an unusual or old-timey word. Fard was borrowed from Anglo-French (from the verb farder) and first appeared in English in the mid-1400s. It is ultimately of Germanic origin and akin to the Old High German word faro, meaning "colored."
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French farder, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German faro colored — more at perch
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1