Accoutrement

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əˈku.tɚ.mənt/

Definitions

1. An extra piece of equipment or accessory worn or carried that complements an outfit or uniform
2. A supplementary item or gear used with clothing or personal attire to complete or enhance appearance
3. An added accessory or equipment that accompanies clothing, often for practical or decorative purposes

Etymology: The word started life as a military term. Old French "acostrer" meant "to arrange" or "to sew up," and in its early English forms the noun referred to the equipment a soldier carried or wore, the gear needed to be ready for service. Over time the sense loosened from the battlefield into everyday dress, so a modern accoutrement is a decorative extra, such as a scarf, a watch, or a bold pair of earrings, rather than anything a soldier would need. English adopted the word in the 1540s, borrowing the French form and spelling it in several competing ways before the modern "accoutrement" settled in. Its ancestry is slightly tangled: one strand is the French noun, while another comes from the verb "accoutre," which itself passed through French from the same Old French root, with the English suffix "-ment" added to make a noun.

Synonyms: equipment, gear, accessories