Cornishes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To adorn or finish the edge or border of a surface with a decorative molding or trim ; to provide with an ornamental projection along the top of a wall or structure ; to embellish or enhance the perimeter of an architectural element
2. To decorate or cap the boundary of a surface by adding a raised or shaped band ; to furnish with an ornamental ledge or horizontal decorative trim ; to supply the outer edge of a structure with a styled or crafted border
3. To enhance the outline or border of an object by applying a sculpted or shaped finish ; to fit with a decorative trim or projecting molding typically found along ceilings or walls ; to furnish the edge of a surface with an ornamented architectural feature

Etymology: "Cornishes" is the third-person singular present form of "cornish", a verb meaning to add decorative moulding to a wall, ceiling or cornice. The verb is a straightforward derivation: "cornish" is the noun "cornice" shaped into a verb, so the word means, in effect, to fit a cornice. It is a loose English re-formation rather than a direct borrowing from another language. The noun behind it is the surprising part. "Cornice" arrives in English from French and Italian, but the real ancestor is a Greek word for a projecting edge. The verb inherits its shape from the same word family as the adjective "cornish", which in English is the name of the people and language of Cornwall. Those two words are unrelated in meaning; "Cornish" the adjective is a place name, while the verb simply takes its first part from "corn" and its last from the suffix "-ish".

Synonyms: decorates, embellishes

Antonyms: plain, strip