ornament

[awr-nuh-muhnt, awr-nuh-ment, -muhnt]

noun

1. an accessory, article, or detail used to beautify the appearance of something to which it is added or of which it is a part.

   architectural ornaments.

   Synonyms: embellishment

2. a system, category, or style of such objects or features; ornamentation.

   a book on Gothic ornament.

3. any adornment or means of adornment.

   Synonyms: decoration

4. a person or thing that adds to the credit or glory of a society, era, etc.

5. the act of adorning.

   Synonyms: decoration

6. the state of being adorned.

7. mere outward display.

   a speech more of ornament than of ideas.

8. Chiefly Ecclesiastical.,  any accessory, adjunct, or equipment.

9. Music.,  a tone or group of tones applied as decoration to a principal melodic tone.

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with ornaments; embellish.

   to ornament a musical composition.

   Synonyms: grace, adorn, decorate

2. to be an ornament to.

   Several famous scientists were acquired to ornament the university.

   Synonyms: grace, adorn, decorate

ornament

noun

1. anything that enhances the appearance of a person or thing

2. decorations collectively

   she was totally without ornament

3. a small decorative object

4. something regarded as a source of pride or beauty

5. music any of several decorations, such as the trill, mordent, etc, occurring chiefly as improvised embellishments in baroque music

verb

1. to decorate with or as if with ornaments

2. to serve as an ornament to

Other Word Forms

• ornamenter noun
• overornament verb (used with object)
• reornament verb (used with object)
• superornament verb (used with object)
• ornamentation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ornament¹

1175–1225; < Latin ornāmentum equipment, ornament, equivalent to ornā ( re ) to equip + -mentum -ment; replacing Middle English ornement < Old French < Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of ornament¹

C14: from Latin ornāmentum, from ornāre to adorn

Example Sentences

As she writes, carved surface ornament occupies a “space between architecture and sculpture” that has been neglected by historians of both disciplines.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Credit Disneyland for embracing the guest-driven activity, so much so that the park started developing Life Day ornaments and shirts as well as offering limited time food specials.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Voters have been lured with everything from television sets to bicycles and sometimes even gold ornaments - blurring the fine line between welfare economics and pre-poll populism.

Read more on BBC

Senesh was fortunate that her parachute jump in March 1944 didn’t kill her, as she landed on a pine tree and hung 30 feet above ground “like a human Christmas ornament.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Chenoweth, who is as gleaming as a holiday ornament on Liberace’s Christmas tree, arrives at a canny balance of quixotic generosity and parvenu carelessness in her portrayal of a woman she refuses to lampoon.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accessory 
• adornment 
• art 
• bauble 
• embroidery 
• flower 
• jewel 
• knickknack 
• treasure 
• trinket