pomatum
/pə(ʊ)ˈmeɪtəm
/noun & verb
Old-fashioned term for pomade.Early wigs were made of black horsehair, dressed daily with powder and a scented ointment called pomatum, which had ruinous effects on the wearer's clothes....
- In 1767 the author of a letter to the editor of the New York Journal bemoaned the fashion that led women to double the size of their heads with the use of pomatum, artificial pads, and hair procured from corpses.
Origin
Mid 16th century: modern Latin, from Latin pomum 'apple'.