accouter

American  

[uh-koo-ter] / əˈku tər /

especially British, accoutre

verb (used with object)

1. to equip or outfit, especially with military clothes, equipment, etc.

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Other Word Forms

• unaccoutered adjective

Etymology

Origin of accouter

First recorded in 1600–10; earlier accou(s)stre, from French accoutrer, Old French acou(s)trer “to arrange, accommodate, equip,” perhaps from unattested Vulgar Latin accō(n)s(ū)tūrāre “to sew together, mend” ( ac-, couture ), though loss of second -ū- is unexplained

Explanation

To accouter a soldier is to dress her in military garb and provide her with the equipment she needs. A boy who runs away to join the army might first accouter himself in a camouflage jacket and steel-toed boots. The verb accouter most commonly describes a soldier being outfitted for battle or a person dressing in some impressive uniform or outfit. You could, for example, say that your friends like to accouter themselves in feathers and sequins before they march in the Mardi Gras parade. The word can also be spelled accoutre, and both versions come from acostrer, "arrange, put on clothing, or sew up," from the Latin roots ad, "to," and consutura, "a sewing together."