verb (used with object)
- to decorate or add beauty to, as by ornaments: garlands of flowers adorning their hair.
- to make more pleasing, attractive, impressive, etc.; enhance: Piety adorned Abigail’s character.
verb (tr)
- to decorateshe adorned her hair with flowers
- to increase the beauty, distinction, etc, of
late 14c., “to decorate, embellish,” also “be an ornament to,” from Old French aorner “to order, arrange, dispose, equip; adorn,” from Latin adornare “equip, provide, embellish,” from ad- “to” (see ad-) + ornare “prepare, furnish, adorn, fit out,” from stem of ordo “order” (see order (n.)). The -d- was reinserted by French scribes 14c., in English from late 15c. Related: Adorned; adorning.