Garnitures

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Decorative elements or accessories used to enhance the appearance of something, such as clothing or furniture
2. Ornamental features added to a dish for visual appeal or to enhance flavor
3. Additional pieces that serve to embellish or enrich a design or composition

Etymology: "Garnitures" is the plural of "garniture", and the singular has a surprisingly martial start. In Old French, a "garneture" was an accessory for a saddle: the straps, fittings and fastenings that equipped a horse for riding. Its root verb, "garnir", meant to equip, furnish or fortify, and that verb descended from an early Frankish word, "warnijan", which meant to prevent or deny. The original sense of protecting or providing for the rider's gear gradually widened into the general idea of fitting something out with extras. The word passed into Middle English as "garnetture", then through Anglo-Norman spellings such as "garniture" and "gerneiture", before settling into its present form. Its meaning shifted from practical equipment to ornament, so that the word now describes decorative trimmings added to a dress, a room, or a table rather than the fittings of a horse.