adorn

a·dorn

Use adorn in a sentence

verb

The definition of adorn means to decorate or add beauty to a person or thing.

Adding ornaments to a Christmas tree is an example of a way to adorn.

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"adorn." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 23 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/ADORN>.

APA Style

adorn. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23rd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/ADORN

adorn

to be an ornament to; add beauty, splendor, or distinction to
to put decorations on; ornament

Origin of adorn

Middle English adornen (altered after L) from Old French aourner from Classical Latin adornare from ad-, to + ornare, to fit out: see ornament

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Link to this page

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MLA Style

"adorn." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 23 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/ADORN>.

APA Style

adorn. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23rd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/ADORN

adorn

transitive verb

a·dorned, a·dorn·ing, a·dorns

To lend beauty to: flowers adorned the walkway.
To enhance or decorate with or as if with ornaments: “[He] requires the presence of titles to legitimate and adorn … his imperfect status” ( Cynthia Ozick )

Origin of adorn

Middle English adornen from Old French adourner from Latin adōrnāre ad- ad- ōrnāre to decorate ; see ar- in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

a·dorn′er
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"adorn." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 23 April 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/ADORN>.

APA Style

adorn. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23rd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/ADORN

Verb

(third-person singular simple present adorns, present participle adorning, simple past and past participle adorned)

To make more beautiful and attractive; to decorate.
a man adorned with noble statuary and columns
a character adorned with every Christian grace
a gallery of paintings was adorned with the works of some of the great masters

Noun

(obsolete) adornment

Origin

From Middle English aournen (late Middle English adornen), from Old French aorner (Middle French adorner), from Latin adōrnāre, present active infinitive of adōrnō; from ad + ōrnō (“furnish, embellish”). See adore, ornate.