accessory

See also accessory breathing

English

Etymology

From Latin accessorius (compare English access, from same root).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əkˈsɛsərɪ/

Adjective

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; being connected as an incident or subordinate to a principal; contributing or being contributory. Said of persons and things, and, when of persons, usually in a bad sense; as, he was accessory to the riot; accessory sounds in music.
2. (law) Assisting a crime without actually participating in committing the crime itself.

Synonyms

• (having a secondary function): accompanying, contributory, auxiliary, subsidiary, subservient, additional, acceding

Translations

having a supplementary function

Arabic: كمالي (ar) Bulgarian: спомагателен (bg), допълнителен (bg) Dutch: meegeleverd (nl), toegevoegd (nl) Finnish: lisä-, apu-, täydentävä, ylimääräinen French: accessoire (fr) German: nebensächlich (de), zusätzlich (de), begleitend (de)

Greek: εξάρτημα (el) (exártima) n. Ido: acesora Portuguese: acessório (pt) Russian: вспомогательный (ru) (vspomogát'el'nyj), добавочный (ru) (dobávočnyj), дополнительный (ru) (dopolnít'el'nyj) Spanish: accesorio (es), auxiliar (es)

assisting a crime

Albanian: bashkëfajtor m., bashkëfajtore f. Arabic: مساعد (ar) Bulgarian: съучастнически (bg) Dutch: medeplichtig (nl)

Finnish: avustava (fi) Greek: συνεργός (el) (synergós) m. and f. Russian: соучаствующий (ru) (součástvujuš'ij) Spanish: cómplice (es)

Noun

accessory (plural accessories)

1. That which belongs to something else deemed the principal; something additional and subordinate, an attachment.

   the accessories of a mobile phone

   • (Can we date this quote?) Thomas Carlyle:

     The aspect and accessories of a den of banditti.

2. An article that completes one's basic outfit, such as a scarf or gloves.
3. (law) One who, not being present, contributes as an assistant or instigator to the commission of an offense.
4. (fine arts) Anything that enters into a work of art without being indispensably necessary, as mere ornamental parts.

Synonyms

• (one who assists in or instigates an offense): abettor, accomplice, ally, coadjutor, accessary

Derived terms

• accessory before the fact
• accessory after the fact

Translations

attachment

Armenian: պիտույք (hy) (pituyk’), պարագա (hy) (paraga) Bulgarian: допълнение (bg), принадлежност (bg) Dutch: accessoire (nl) n., aanhangsel (nl) n., toebehoren (nl) n. Finnish: lisävaruste (fi), varuste (fi), tarvike (fi) French: accessoire (fr) m. German: Zubehör (de) n.

Greek: παρελκόμενο (el) (parelkómeno) n., συμπλήρωμα (el) (symplíroma) n. Hungarian: tartozék (hu) Polish: akcesorium n., akcesoria pl. Portuguese: acessório (pt) m. Spanish: accesorio (es) m., complemento (es) m. Vietnamese: phụ kiện đính kèm (vi)

clothing accessory

Bulgarian: аксесоар (bg) Czech: doplněk (cs) m. Dutch: accessoire (nl) n., aanhangsel (nl) n., toebehoren (nl) n. Finnish: asuste (fi) French: accessoire (fr) m. German: Accessoire (de) n.

Hebrew: אקססורי (he) (aksésori) m. Hungarian: kiegészítő (hu) Japanese: アクセサリー (akusesarii), 持ち物 (もちもの, mochimono) Korean: 액세서리 (aekseseori) Polish: dodatek m., dodatki pl. Portuguese: acessório (pt) m.

contributor to an offense

Bulgarian: съучастник (bg) Dutch: medeplichtige m. and f., handlanger m., handlangster f. Finnish: avunantaja German: Beihilfe (de) f.

Greek: συνεργός (el) (synergós) m. and f. Polish: współsprawca m. Russian: соучастник (ru) (součástnik) m., соучастница (ru) (součástnica) f. Spanish: cómplice (es) m. and f.

unessential part in a work of art

Finnish: koriste (fi) French: accessoire (fr) m.

German: Accessoire (de) n. Hungarian: bűntárs (hu)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Interlingua: accessorio Italian: accessorio m Portuguese: acessório m Romanian: accesoriu n Spanish: accesorio m. Swedish: tillbehör

References

• accessory in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913