Arayment

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Archaic term for clothing, dress, or elaborate attire worn for display or ceremony
2. An old word meaning apparel or garments, especially rich or ornamental clothing
3. Dated noun for the attire or finery in which someone is dressed

Etymology: Clothing was once understood as something arranged. "Array" came into English in the Middle Ages from Old French "areer," meaning to put in order or prepare, and it was first used mostly of arranging troops for battle. Its meaning then widened to cover putting people in fine clothes, so a well-dressed person was in good "array." Adding the suffix "-ment," which turns a verb into a noun for the result of an action, produced "arayment," meaning dress or attire. The noun has since dropped out of common use, and "array" now survives mainly in phrases like "a dazzling array of options," where the sense of an orderly display remains. The origin of "areer" itself is less certain. It is usually linked to a Germanic root meaning order or arrangement, but scholars have not settled the exact pathway.