English Explanatory Dictionary

accessory

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Having a secondary, supplementary or subordinate function by accompanying as a subordinate; aiding in a secondary way; being additional; contributing or being contributory.
  2. Assisting a crime without actually participating in committing the crime itself; being connected as an incident or subordinate to a principal.
  3. Present in a minor amount, and not essential.
  4. Supernumerary and generally nonfunctional.
noun
  1. Something that belongs to part of another main thing; something additional and subordinate, an attachment.
  2. An article that completes one's basic outfit, such as a scarf or gloves.
  3. A person who is not present at a crime, but contributes to it as an assistant or instigator.
  4. Something in a work of art without being indispensably necessary, for example solely ornamental parts.

Pronunciation

/əkˈsɛs.(ə.)ɹi/ /ækˈsɛs.(ə.)ɹi/ En-us-accessory.ogg /əˈsɛs.(ə.)ɹi/ /ˈaksəs(ɵ)ri/ /əkˈsɛsɵri/

Word forms

accessory more accessory most accessory accessary accessories

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Medieval Latin ad- Proto-Italic *kezdō Medieval Latin cēdō Medieval Latin accēdō Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Medieval Latin -tor Medieval Latin accessor Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Medieval Latin -ius Medieval Latin accessōriusbor. English accessory From Medieval Latin accessōrius, from Latin accessor (“helper, subordinate”), from accessus. Compare access, from same root.

Synonyms

accompanying contributory auxiliary subsidiary subservient additional acceding addition attachment supplement accompaniment abettor accomplice ally coadjutor accessary

Derived words

accessorial accessorily accessoriness accessorist accessorize accessory after the fact accessory battery accessory before the fact accessory breathing accessory cloud accessory equipment accessory fruit accessory gonadal structure accessoryless accessory mineral accessory nerve accessory pigment accessoryship accessory shoe accessory spleen Cambodian accessory nonaccessory sexcessory unaccessory vagoaccessory
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