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Meaning of ADORN

Pronunciation:  u'dorn

 
WordNet Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. [v]  make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.; "Decorate the room for the party"; "beautify yourself for the special day"
  2. [v]  furnish with power or authority; of kings or emperors
  3. [v]  be beautiful to look at; "Flowers adorned the tables everywhere"
 

ADORN is a 5 letter word that starts with A.

 

 Synonyms: beautify, beautify, clothe, deck, decorate, decorate, embellish, embellish, grace, grace, invest, ornament
 
 See Also: alter, applique, bard, be, bead, bedeck, bedight, bedizen, begild, bejewel, beset, bespangle, blazon, braid, broider, caparison, change, color, colour, deck, dress, dress ship, dress up, emblazon, embroider, enamel, encrust, engild, equip, festoon, filet, fillet, fit, fit out, flag, fledge, flight, foliate, fret, fringe, garland, garnish, gild, glaze, hang, illuminate, illustrate, incrust, inlay, jewel, lacquer, landscape, ornament, outfit, panel, pipe, prank, redecorate, scallop, smock, spangle, stucco, tart up, tinsel, trim, vermiculate, wreathe

 

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. \A*dorn"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Adorned}; p. pr. & vb. n.
    {Adorning}.] [OE. aournen, anournen, adornen, OF. aorner, fr.
    L. aaornare; ad + ornare to furnish, embellish. See {Adore},
    {Ornate}.]
    To deck or dress with ornaments; to embellish; to set off to
    advantage; to render pleasing or attractive.
          As a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. --Isa.
                                                   lxi. 10.
          At church, with meek and unaffected grace, His looks
          adorned the venerable place.             --Goldsmith.
    Syn: To deck; decorate; embellish; ornament; beautify; grace;
         dignify; exalt; honor.
    Usage: To {Adorn}, {Ornament}, {Decorate}, {Embellish}. We
           decorate and ornament by putting on some adjunct which
           is attractive or beautiful, and which serves to
           heighten the general effect. Thus, a lady's head-dress
           may be ornament or decorated with flowers or jewelry;
           a hall may be decorated or ornament with carving or
           gilding, with wreaths of flowers, or with hangings.
           Ornament is used in a wider sense than decorate. To
           embellish is to beautify or ornament richly, not so
           much by mere additions or details as by modifying the
           thing itself as a whole. It sometimes means gaudy and
           artificial decoration. We embellish a book with rich
           engravings; a style is embellished with rich and
           beautiful imagery; a shopkeeper embellishes his front
           window to attract attention. Adorn is sometimes
           identical with decorate, as when we say, a lady was
           adorned with jewels. In other cases, it seems to imply
           something more. Thus, we speak of a gallery of
           paintings as adorned with the works of some of the
           great masters, or adorned with noble statuary and
           columns. Here decorated and ornamented would hardly be
           appropriate. There is a value in these works of genius
           beyond mere show and ornament. Adorn may be used of
           what is purely moral; as, a character adorned with
           every Christian grace. Here neither decorate, nor
           ornament, nor embellish is proper.
    
  2. \A*dorn"\, n.
    Adornment. [Obs.] --Spenser.
    
  3. \A*dorn"\, a.
    Adorned; decorated. [Obs.] --Milton.
    
 
Thesaurus Terms
 
 Related Terms: array, beautify, become one, bedeck, bedizen, bestow honor upon, blazon, color, confer distinction on, convolute, dandify, deck, deck out, decorate, dignify, distinguish, dizen, doll up, dress, dress up, elaborate, embellish, emblazon, embroider, enhance, enrich, fancy up, festoon, fig out, fix up, flourish, furbish, garnish, gild, glamorize, grace, gussy up, heighten, honor, intensify, involve, load with ornament, ornament, overcharge, overlay, overload, paint, prank, prank up, preen, prettify, pretty up, primp, primp up, prink, prink up, redecorate, redo, refurbish, set off, set out, signalize, smarten, smarten up, spruce up, titivate, trick out, trick up, trim, varnish
 

 

 

 

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