Accoutrement
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A soldier's equipment, other than weapons and uniform. in-plural
"Thus One / Jovial his Mate bespoke; O Friend, observe, / How gay with all th'Accoutrements of War / The Britons come, with Gold well fraught they come"
- 2 clothing that is worn or carried, but not part of your main clothing wordnet
- 3 An article of clothing or equipment, in particular when used as an accessory. in-plural
"To me ſhe's married, not vnto my cloathes: / Could I repaire what ſhe will weare in me, / As I can change theſe poore accoutrements, / 'Twere well for Kate, and better for my ſelfe."
- 4 An identifying yet superficial characteristic. broadly
"By the summer of 1964 they had achieved the bigger house on the better street and the familiar accouterments of a family on its way up: the $30,000 a year, the three children for the Christmas card, the picture window, the family room, […]"
- 5 The act of accoutering; furnishing. archaic
Example
More examples"Thus One / Jovial his Mate bespoke; O Friend, observe, / How gay with all th'Accoutrements of War / The Britons come, with Gold well fraught they come"
Etymology
Probably partly from Middle French accoustrement, acoustrement, acoutrement (French accoutrement), from accoustrer, from Old French acostrer (“arrange, sew up”), and partly from accoutre + -ment. First attested in the 1540s.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.