Adorn
/əˈdɔːrn/noun
To decorate or add beauty to something.
Did you know?Adorn comes through Old French from Latin *adornare*, built from *ad-* “to” + *ornare* “equip, decorate,” the same root behind **ornament** and the ancient idea of being properly furnished for ceremony.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃er-
“to fit out, prepare, arrange”
Latin
Latin
ornāre
“to equip, furnish, decorate”
Late Latin
Latin
adornāre
“to equip, embellish, set off”
Old French
Old French
adorner
“to decorate, embellish, honor”
Middle English
English
adournen
“to decorate, furnish, embellish”
Modern English
English
adorn
“to decorate or add beauty to something”