accessory

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English

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Medieval Latin accessōrius, from Latin accessor (helper, subordinate), from accessus.[1] Compare access, from same root.

Adjective

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accessory (comparative more accessory, superlative most accessory)

  1. Having a secondary, supplementary or subordinate function by accompanying as a subordinate; aiding in a secondary way; being additional; contributing or being contributory. [from 1550s][1]
    accessory garments
    Surprise parties succeed with the help of accessory neighbors or colleagues.
  2. (law) Assisting a crime without actually participating in committing the crime itself; being connected as an incident or subordinate to a principal.
    Hypernym: accomplice
    Coordinate term: principal
    Her actions were clearly accessory because they helped him commit and probably also conceal the crime.
  3. Present in a minor amount, and not essential.
    accessory mineral
Usage notes
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  • (secondary, supplementary): Said of things and actions, very rarely of people (and then usually in a humorous version of the legal sense, or due to confusion between the noun and the adjective).
Synonyms
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Translations
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Etymology 2

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From Middle English accessorie, from Medieval Latin accessōrius, from Latin accessor (helper, subordinate), from accessus.[2][3][4] Compare access, from same root.

Noun

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accessory (plural accessories)

  1. Something that belongs to part of another main thing; something additional and subordinate, an attachment.
    the accessories of a mobile phone
  2. (fashion) An article that completes one's basic outfit, such as a scarf or gloves. [from 1896][2]
  3. (law) A person who is not present at a crime, but contributes to it as an assistant or instigator. [from 1414][4]
    She was an accessory to the murder because she helped him commit and probably also conceal the crime.
    • 2005, Jennifer Worth, Shadows of the Workhouse, Weidenfeld & Nicholson (2009), page 150:
      “You can be an accessory before the fact, or an accessory after the fact. It doesnʼt matter if itʼs before or after; either way youʼd be in for it.”
  4. (art) Something in a work of art without being indispensably necessary, for example solely ornamental parts.
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Descendants
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Translations
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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “accessory (adj.)”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “accessory (n.)”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
  3. ^ accessō̆rie, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  4. 4.0 4.1 accessory, n. and adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.