ornament
Small decorative object for display
A small thing you put on a tree, table, shelf, or wall to make it look nice, especially at Christmas.
an ornament on [something]
- She hung a delicate glass ornament on the highest branch of the Christmas tree.
- The shelf was covered with little ornaments she had collected on her travels.
- They bought a stone bird ornament for the garden.
- Please be careful not to break the porcelain ornaments on the mantelpiece.
- The shop window was filled with colorful ornaments and lights for the holidays.
- We put many ornaments on our Christmas tree.
- There is a small bird ornament on the table.
- My grandmother keeps her favorite ornaments in a glass cabinet.
- He bought a new ornament for the garden.
- The children made paper ornaments in art class.
Person/thing adding honor or credit
A person or thing that makes a group or job look good and respected.
an ornament to [something]
- Her integrity and hard work make her an ornament to the legal profession.
- The old library is an ornament to the city, both beautiful and historically important.
- He is widely regarded as an ornament to the university, admired by students and staff alike.
- Such dedicated nurses are an ornament to the health service.
- Their performance was an ornament to the festival, raising the overall standard of the event.
- She is an ornament to her profession.
- This beautiful old building is an ornament to the town.
- His good work is an ornament to the company.
- The doctor is an ornament to the hospital.
- The new museum is an ornament to the city.
Decorative detail on building/object
A design or pattern that is part of a wall, building, or object to make it look more beautiful.
ornament on [a building / an object]
- The façade is simple, with almost no architectural ornament.
- Intricate stone ornaments frame the windows of the cathedral.
- The furniture is heavy oak, decorated with carved floral ornaments.
- Modernist architects rejected historical ornament in favor of clean lines.
- The designer added only a small metal ornament on the door to keep the look minimal.
- There is a carved ornament above the door.
- The old church has many stone ornaments on the walls.
- This style of building has very little ornament.
- The table has a leaf ornament on each leg.
- The architect used gold ornaments around the windows.
Decorative musical note(s)
A special extra note or short group of notes that a musician adds to a main note to make the music more decorative.
an ornament in [a melody / a piece]
- The singer added delicate ornaments at the end of each phrase.
- In Baroque music, performers were expected to improvise their own ornaments.
- The teacher asked the student to play the ornaments more clearly and in time.
- Too many ornaments can make the melody sound fussy rather than expressive.
- The score marks several ornaments that the pianist had previously ignored.
- The violin player uses small ornaments in the melody.
- In this song, the singer adds many ornaments to the final notes.
- Baroque music often has a lot of ornaments.
- The teacher shows the student how to play the ornaments slowly.
- Without the ornaments, the piece sounds much simpler.
To decorate by adding details
To add beautiful things or designs to something so that it looks nicer.
to ornament [something] with [something]
- They ornamented the hall with flowers and candles for the wedding.
- The cover of the book is ornamented with an intricate gold border.
- The ceiling was richly ornamented with painted angels and stars.
- She likes to ornament her emails with little drawings and symbols.
- In this style, simple shapes are heavily ornamented with tiny patterns.
- They ornamented the room with lights and flowers.
- The door is ornamented with a metal design.
- Artists ornament the walls with colorful pictures.
- The plate is ornamented with blue lines.
- He ornamented the cake with fresh fruit.
- Base: ornament
- Plural: ornament, ornaments
- Base: ornament
- 3rd Person Singular: ornaments
- Present Participle: ornamenting
- Past: ornamented
Christmas ornament
1Decoration hung on Christmas tree
A small decoration that you hang on a Christmas tree.
- We bought new Christmas ornaments for the tree this year.
- The children made paper Christmas ornaments at school and took them home to hang on the tree.
- Be careful when you pack the glass Christmas ornaments; they break easily.
mere ornament
1Only decorative, not functional
Used to say that someone or something is there only to look nice and does not do anything important.
- She refused to be treated as a mere ornament in the company.
- The committee includes two student members, who are more than mere ornaments and speak actively in meetings.
ornament to the profession
1Person who honors their profession
A way to say that someone is a very good member of their job group and makes that job look good.
- The judge described her as an ornament to the profession.
- Such honest and skilled lawyers are an ornament to the profession.