ornamental
UK /ˌɔː.nəˈmɛn.təl/ · US /ˌɔɹ.nəˈmɛn.təl/ adjective, noun
Forms ornamentals
- adjective Serving as an ornament; having no purpose other than to make more beautiful. “Some think it most ornamental to wear their bracelets on their wrists; others, about their ankles.”
- adjective (of a plant, fish, etc.) Bred for aesthetic or decorative purposes. “Those cranberry bushes are ornamental, so they're not edible.”
- noun An ornamental plant.
Synonyms
Etymology
From ornament + -al.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Serving to ornament; characterized by ornament; beautifying; embellishing.
Etymology [Cf. F. ornemental.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “ornamental”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details