ornament

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Anything that beautifies

Nouns

1. ornament, ornamentation, ornateness; adornment, decoration, embellishment, dressing, décor.

2. garnish, polish, varnish, gilding, lacquer, enamel; cosmetics (see beauty); ormolu.

3. (design) pattern, diaper, powdering, paneling, lining, graining; detail, texture, richness; mosaic; tracery, filigree, molding, filet, flourish, fleur-de-lis, arabesque, fret, astragal, zigzag, acanthus, pilaster.

4. (trimming) pargeting, embroidery, needlework; brocade, brocatel, lace, fringe, trapping, border, guilloche, edging, trimming, frill; hanging, tapestry, arras.

5. (ornamental attachment) wreath, festoon, garland, chaplet, flower, nosegay, corsage, bouquet, posy, lei; crepe paper; tassel, shoulder knot, epaulet, braid, aiguillette, frog; star, rosette, bow; feather, plume, plumage, panache, aigrette, fine feathers; agrafe, bodkin, boutonniere, netsuke; band, armlet; cordon.

6. jewelry, parure, bijoutry; bijou, trinket, bauble, bibelot, gewgaw, knick-knack, gimcrack, locket, diadem, coronet, aigrette, necklace, rivière, bracelet, anklet, earring, carcanet, chain, fob, chatelaine, brooch, girandole, pin, cameo, scrimshaw, torque, intaglio, labret, nose ring; slave bracelet, costume jewelry; jewel, gem, precious stone; diamond, brilliant, beryl, emerald, chalcedony, agate, heliotrope; girasol; onyx, sardonyx; garnet, lapis lazuli, opal, peridot, chrysolite, sapphire, ruby; spinel, topaz; turquoise; zircon, jacinth, hyacinth, carbuncle, rhinestone, amethyst; pearl, coral; sequin. Informal, glass.

7. (ornament in bad taste) finery, frippery, gewgaw, gimcrack, tinsel, spangle, clinquant, brummagem, pinchbeck, paste, glass; knickknack, bric-a-brac, curio; gaudiness (see vulgarity).

8. (ornamental drawing) illustration, illumination, vignette; headpiece, tailpiece, scroll, flowers, rhetoric, work of art.

Verbs

1. ornament, embellish, decorate, adorn, grace, beautify, smarten; furbish, polish; blazon, beset; gild, varnish, whitewash, enamel, japan, lacquer, paint, grain, enrich, silver, chrome.

2. garnish, trim, [be]dizen, prink, primp, prank; trip out; [be]deck, [be]dight, array; dress up, [be]spangle, powder, embroider, work; chase, emboss, fret; stud; make up; emblazon, illuminate; illustrate. Informal, spruce up. Slang, doll up, jazz up.

Adjectives

1. ornamented, beautified; ornate, rich, gilt, gilded; tasselated, festooned, ornamental, decorative, becoming, smart, gay, flowery, glittering; spangled. See beauty.

2. pranked out, bedight, well-groomed, fresh as a daisy; in full dress or fashion, en grande toilette; in best bib and tucker, in Sunday best, showy, flashy, sporty, fancy; gaudy, garish (see ostentation); gorgeous. Slang, sharp, snazzy, Sunday-go-to-meeting; in glad rags; dressed to kill, all dressed up like a Christmas tree, ragged out or up.

Quotations — There is material enough in a single flower for the ornament of a score of cathedrals (John Ruskin), Respecting all ornament... Was it done with enjoyment — was the carver happy while he was about it? (John Ruskin), Nobility is a graceful ornament to the civil order. It is the Corinthian capital of polished society (Edmund Burke).

Antonyms, see simpleness.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

Syn. embellishment, adornment, beautification; see decoration 2 , embroidery 1 , trimming 1 .

v.

Syn. decorate, embellish, adorn, trim; see decorate .

See Synonym Study at decorate .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

decoration, embellishment, adornment, beautification, dressing, accessory, trimming, garnish, garnishment, festoon, bauble, gewgaw, torsade, tassel, trinket, spangle, knickknack, gimcrack, frill, flounce, filigree, tracery, filet, gilding, fleur-de-lis, fretwork, storiation, fluting, tooling, finial, beading, acanthus, palmette, embossing, molding, inlay, relief work, scroll work, checker-work, diamond work, floriation, astragal, swag, mosaic, wainscotting. see decoration

II

v.

decorate, adorn, dress, garnish, festoon, trim, finish, embellish, beautify.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I noun Something that adorns: adornment, decoration, embellishment, garnishment, garniture, ornamentation, trim, trimming. See BEAUTIFUL. II verb To furnish with decorations: adorn, bedeck, deck2 (out), decorate, dress (up), embellish, garnish, trim. See BEAUTIFUL.