the action of decorating yourself with something colorful and interesting

An adorning; an ornament; a decoration.

Ornament; decoration.

The act of adorning, or that which adorns; ornament.

An adorning; ornament.

She wore a red ribbon in her hair, and was the only one of the white company who could boast of such a pronounced adornment. – Tess of the d'Urbervilles A Pure Woman by Thomas Hardy

Also she bade us say to thee that naught else of thine adornment was touched save the jewel only. – A Maid at King Alfred’s Court by Lucy Foster Madison

He is recalling the forty years which he and our dear Army Mother had trod together, and his words sum up better than any other words could do what she was to our Leader:- 'If you had had a tree, ' he said, speaking to the vast crowd that stood round the grave, 'that had grown up in your garden, under your window, which for forty years had been your shadow from the burning sun, whose flowers had been the adornment and beauty of your life, whose fruit had been almost the stay of your existence, and the gardener had come along and swung his glittering axe and cut it down before your eyes, I think you would feel as though you had a blank- it might not be a big one- but a little blank in your life. – Catherine Booth A Sketch by Colonel Mildred Duff

But the adornment is that of Nature- it is the decoration of another and a strange element: the roots are in the air; the boughs which should be full of birds, are in the flood, covered by its alien products, swimming side by side with the alligator. – Literary and General Lectures and Essays by Charles Kingsley

It was conceded at Worth that, in view of the danger in which her husband stood, both afield and at home, more anxiety and less adornment would better have become the lady, as she outshone all other women present when the line of infantry officers broke ranks at dismissal of parade. – A Trooper Galahad by Charles King

Quickear began the search in rags, and Cincerella in ashes, and the " Fair one with the golden locks" had, I think, no other adornment. – Wych Hazel by Susan and Anna Warner

By breakfast time Bertram with the avowed intention of giving " the little chap half a show," had the room cleared for action; and after that the whole house was called upon for contributions toward the room's adornment. – Miss Billy by Eleanor H. Porter

In a part of the country where this is a favorite facial adornment this information was not much of a clew. – The Boy Aviators' Flight for a Fortune by Wilbur Lawton

It is certainly well engraved, and forms an interesting and handsome series for the most part, and is an adornment to the collectors' album. – History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America by John Kerr Tiffany

For at that time she had still dared to use the prohibited name for an occasional adornment. – The Song of Songs by Hermann Sudermann

Ivory was sold to Asia and the Bantu used iron for personal adornment instead of gold or silver. – The Negro by W.E.B. Du Bois

The innate desire of a primitive people for personal adornment early led the pueblo Indians to a use of metal. – The-Grand-Canyon-of-Arizona-how-to-see-it by James, George Wharton

We were right in saying that among no other race was what is generally a mere adornment to a nation, raised to the dignity of a social and political instrument as it was among the Celts. – Irish Race in the Past and the Present by Aug. J. Thebaud

He smiled when he saw her, displaying an upper row of teeth heavily trimmed with gold, a style of personal adornment which impressed Melissa anew with the vagaries of masculine city taste. – Stories of the Foot-hills by Margaret Collier Graham

B. Clothes and personal adornment. – Introduction to the Study of History by Charles V. Langlois Charles Seignobos

Farther up town our attention is arrested by another misplaced adornment. – The Ways of Men by Eliot Gregory

Gone the beauties of effeminate adornment. – On the Heels of De Wet by The Intelligence Officer

Trees play such a vital part in the adornment of a piece of land, whether large or small, that none that is needed should be sacrificed until every effort to save it has failed. – Making a Lawn by Luke Joseph Doogue

As a matter of fact, he did possess such an adornment. – What's-His-Name by George Barr McCutcheon

The citizens of the District having voluntarily taxed themselves to a large amount for the purpose of contributing to the adornment of the seat of Government, I recommend liberal appropriations on the part of Congress, in order that the Government may bear its just share of the expense of carrying out a judicious system of improvements. – Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to the Present by Various