Ornamentalist

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual who is devoted to the decorative aspects of art and architecture
2. A person who focuses on creating or appreciating decorative elements in art or architecture
3. Someone skilled in the art of embellishing surfaces and structures with ornamental designs

Etymology: "Ornamentalist" is a plain formation: the adjective "ornamental," meaning decorative or serving as an ornament, with the suffix "-ist" attached. "Ornamental" itself comes from "ornament," which descends from Latin "ornamentum," meaning equipment, adornment or embellishment, related to "ornare," to equip or adorn. The suffix "-ist" marks a person who practises, specialises in or is concerned with something, as in "artist" or "pianist." Put together, the word names someone who works with or specialises in decorative design and ornamentation. It follows the same pattern as older English nouns such as "dentist" or "florist," in which "-ist" turns a subject into a practitioner of it. Its meaning is transparent from its parts, so it needs no further explanation beyond that.

Synonyms: decorator, designer