Wordwyrt

adorn

/əˈdɔːn/uh-DAWRN
/əˈdɔɹn/uh-DAWRN

Meaningto fit out; to decorate

Common meaning: to decorate

‘to, towards’ + ‘to fit out, decorate’ → adorn

Journey through time

  1. Aryan root · reconstructed√PI‘pipe, chirp, of imitative origin’No written record; from Skeat’s list of Aryan roots, no. 205, p. 737 · scan
  2. Latinōrnō, ōrnāre‘to fit out, decorate’
  3. Englishadorn‘to decorate’ · today

ad- also in: addadaptadoptadoreadmire

orn also in: ornateornamentsuborn

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin ōrnō ‘to fit out, decorate’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry ōrnō, p. 1279 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

ornamentornatesuborn

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