noun
- clothing, especially outerwear; garments; attire; raiment.
- anything that decorates or covers.
- superficial appearance; aspect; guise.
- Nautical. the masts, sails, anchor, etc., used to equip a vessel.
- Ecclesiastical. a piece of embroidery, usually oblong, on certain vestments, especially on the alb or amice.
verb (used with object), ap·par·eled, ap·par·el·ing or (especially British) ap·par·elled, ap·par·el·ling.
- to dress or clothe.
- to adorn; ornament.
- Nautical. to equip (a vessel) with apparel.
noun
- something that covers or adorns, esp outer garments or clothing
- nautical a vessel’s gear and equipment
verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled
- archaic (tr) to clothe, adorn, etc
mid-13c., “to equip (in any way),” from Old French apareillier (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *appariculare. This is either from Latin apparare “prepare, make ready” (see apparatus), or from Vulgar Latin *ad-particulare “to put things together.” The meaning “to attire in proper clothing” is from mid-14c. Cognate with Italian aparecchiare, Spanish aparejar, Portuguese aparelhar. Related: Appareled; apparelled; appareling; apparelling.
“personal outfit or attire,” early 14c., also “ship’s rigging,” from Old French apareil “preparation,” from apareillier (see apparel (v.)). Earlier in same sense was apparelment (early 14c.).