yellowface

[ yel-oh-feys ]
/ ˈyɛl oʊˌfeɪs /

noun

facial makeup used by a white, non-Asian actor or entertainer when portraying an East Asian: In Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, the role of Cio-Cio San was performed in yellowface.

Origin of yellowface

First recorded in 1850–55; yellow (in the sense “Asian”) + face

Words nearby yellowface

yellowbark, yellowbelly, yellowbird, yellowcake, yelloweye rockfish, yellowface, yellowfin tuna, yellowfinch, yellowhammer, yellowhead, yellowish