accessory

English

Alternative forms

• (noun): accessary

Pronunciation

• IPA: /æk.ˈsɛs.ɚ.rɪ/

Etymology 1

• First attested in 1550's.
• From Middle English accessorie Medieval Latin accessōrius, from Latin accessor (“helper, subordinate”), from Latin accessus.
• Compare English access, from same root.

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.
3. Present in a minor amount, and not essential.

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

• accessory breathing

Translations

having a supplementary function

• Arabic: كمالي (ar)
• Bulgarian: спомагателен (bg) (spomagatelen), допълнителен (bg) (dopǎlnitelen)
• 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) (sǎučastničeski)
• Dutch: medeplichtig (nl)

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

Etymology 2

• (legal): First attested in 1414.
• (fashion): First attested in 1896.

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. (fashion) 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; One who assists after the commission of a crime, but was not present.
4. (art) 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

that which belongs to something else deemed the principal, attachment

• Armenian: պիտույք (hy) (pituyk’), պարագա (hy) (paraga)
• Bulgarian: допълнение (bg) (dopǎlnenie), принадлежност (bg) (prinadležnost)
• 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)
• Icelandic: fylgihlutir (is)
• Polish: akcesorium n, akcesoria pl
• Portuguese: acessório (pt) m
• Russian: принадлежность (ru) (prinadléžnostʹ) f
• Spanish: accesorio (es) m, complemento (es) m
• Vietnamese: phụ kiện đính kèm (vi)

clothing accessory

• Bulgarian: аксесоар (bg) (aksesoar)
• 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
• Russian: аксессуар (ru) (aksɛssuár) m

contributor to an offense

• Bulgarian: съучастник (bg) (sǎučastnik)
• 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