accoutre
verb
transitive verb
Synonyms
- equip
- fit (out)
- furnish
- gird
- kit (up or out) [chiefly British]
- outfit
- provision
- rig
- supply
Example Sentences
Word History
borrowed from French accoutrer, going back to Middle French acoutrer, acoustrer, going back to Old French acoutrer "to put in place, position," perhaps going back to Gallo-Romance *acconsūtūrāre "to sew together, mend," from a-, prefix forming transitive verbs (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + *consūtūra "sewing, seam" — more at couture
Note: If the etymon behind accoutrer is *accō(n)sūtūrāre (>*accōs(ŭ)tūrāre?), the sense development is presumably from "sew together, mend" to "prepare, trim, adorn." The phonetic development is more difficult; the assumption is that the tonic form would be *acostur (1. singular) and the weak form nous acostrons, with the weak form being generalized throughout the paradigm. The longer form is evidenced in 13th-century racousturer, "to stitch up (a wound), mend (a garment)" (unless this verb is built independently on cousture). Such a development is possible, but it has been pointed out that verbs derived from nouns in -ūra tend to preserve the -ū-: amesurer, afaiturer, empasturer (though most such verbs clearly do not date back to earlier Gallo-Romance or Vulgar Latin). An alternative explanation sees accoutrer as a derivative of coutre, "coulter, blade (of a plow)," in which case the -s- in acoustrer would be hypercorrection ([s] in this position having disappeared by the 14th century); but the semantic development of such a verb is hardly transparent.
1533, in the meaning defined above
accoutre
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- furnish
- equip
- supply
- outfit
- provision
- arm
- rig
- dispense
- gird
- kit (up or out)
- prepare
- contribute
- store
- stock
- present
- bestow
- allot
- donate
- apportion
- distribute
- portion
- fit (out)
- prorate
- dole out
- hand out
- reequip
- fortify
- assign
- refit
- deal (out)
- allocate
- mete (out)
- give
- refurnish
- parcel (out)
- reoutfit
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- deprive
- divest
- strip
- dispossess
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of accoutre are appoint, equip, furnish, and outfit. While all these words mean "to supply one with what is needed," accoutre suggests the supplying of personal dress or equipment for a special activity.
The meanings of appoint and accoutre largely overlap; however, appoint implies provision of complete and usually elegant or elaborate equipment or furnishings.
The synonyms equip and accoutre are sometimes interchangeable, but equip suggests the provision of something making for efficiency in action or use.
The words furnish and accoutre can be used in similar contexts, but furnish implies the provision of any or all essentials for performing a function.
While in some cases nearly identical to accoutre, outfit implies provision of a complete list or set of articles as for a journey, an expedition, or a special occupation.