Forms: 5 aournement, aornement, 5–6 adournement, 6 adornament, 6–7 adornement, 6– adornment. [a. OFr. aournement, later adournement, adornement; f. aourner, adourner, to ADORN + -MENT, as if:—L. *adōrnāmentum, to which the Eng. spelling was occasionally assimilated.]
1. The action of adorning, or embellishing; embellishment, ornamentation.
1480. Caxton, Ovid’s Metam., X. vi. He … made to her many fayre aornamentis.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, I. i. 5 (J.). The Heavens, before they had motion, and adornement.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., II. (1851), 145. All the industry and art I could unite to the adornment of my native tongue.
1877. Mrs. Brassey, Voy. in ‘Sunbeam,’ x. (1878), 163. The finest description [of lace], used for personal adornment.
2. A thing employed to adorn; an ornament, a decoration. With pl.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of Armes, I. v. 11. The ladies them self brought theyr jewellis and ryche adournemens.
1543. Blomeyr, in Richm. Wills & Invent. (1853), 47. Decent kepyng and wesshyng of the adornaments belongyng to the altars.
1814. Byron, Corsair, III. viii. 40. My steps will gently tread With these adornments.
1850. Blackie, Æschylus, I. 28. Thou hast won the rich adornments.
1859. Mrs. Schimmelpenninck, Beauty, I. ix. § 29. The colouring, adornments, and furnishing of a room.
