DECORATION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does decoration mean? 

• DECORATION (noun)
  The noun DECORATION has 3 senses:

1. something used to beautify

2. an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event

3. the act of decorating something (in the hope of making it more attractive)

  Familiarity information: DECORATION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DECORATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Something used to beautify

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

decoration; ornament; ornamentation

Hypernyms ("decoration" is a kind of...):

artefact; artifact (a man-made object taken as a whole)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "decoration"):

rosemaling (a Scandinavian style of carved or painted decoration (as on furniture or walls or dinnerware) consisting of floral motifs)

inlay (a decoration made by fitting pieces of wood into prepared slots in a surface)

overlay (a layer of decorative material (such as gold leaf or wood veneer) applied over a surface)

necklet (decoration worn about the neck (fur piece or tight necklace) as an ornament)

nailhead (something resembling the head of a nail that is used as an ornamental device)

molding; moulding (a decorative strip used for ornamentation or finishing)

lunula (a crescent-shaped metal ornament of the Bronze Age)

decor; interior decoration (decoration consisting of the layout and furnishings of a livable interior)

knob; pommel (an ornament in the shape of a ball on the hilt of a sword or dagger)

set decoration (a decoration used as part of the set of a theatrical or movie production)

sgraffito (a ceramic or mural decoration made by scratching off a surface layer to reveal the ground)

spiral; volute (ornament consisting of a curve on a plane that winds around a center with an increasing distance from the center)

sprig (an ornament that resembles a spray of leaves or flowers)

rivet; stud (ornament consisting of a circular rounded protuberance (as on a vault or shield or belt))

fin; tail fin; tailfin (one of a pair of decorations projecting above the rear fenders of an automobile)

tinsel (a showy decoration that is basically valueless)

tracery (decoration consisting of an open pattern of interlacing ribs)

wind bell; wind chime (a decorative arrangement of pieces of metal or glass or pottery that hang together loosely so the wind can cause them to tinkle)

garnish (something (such as parsley) added to a dish for flavor or decoration)

hood ornament (an ornament on the front of the hood of a car emblematic of the manufacturer)

adornment (a decoration of color or interest that is added to relieve plainness)

arabesque (an ornament that interlaces simulated foliage in an intricate design)

architectural ornament ((architecture) something added to a building to improve its appearance)

beading; beadwork (ornamentation with beads)

bow (a decorative interlacing of ribbons)

brass (an ornament or utensil made of brass)

centerpiece; centrepiece (something placed at the center of something else (as on a table))

Christmas tree (an ornamented evergreen used as a Christmas decoration)

cockade (an ornament (such as a knot of ribbon or a rosette) usually worn on the hat)

embellishment (a superfluous ornament)

design; figure; pattern (a decorative or artistic work)

encrustation; incrustation (a decorative coating of contrasting material that is applied to a surface as an inlay or overlay)

hanging; wall hanging (decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window)

graffiti; graffito (a rude decoration inscribed on rocks or walls)

garnish (any decoration added as a trimming or adornment)

gargoyle (an ornament consisting of a grotesquely carved figure of a person or animal)

falderol; folderal; frill; gimcrack; gimcrackery; nonsense; trumpery (ornamental objects of no great value)

floral arrangement; flower arrangement (a decorative arrangement of flowers)

finial (an ornament at the top of a spire or gable; usually a foliated fleur-de-lis)

Derivation:

decorate (provide with decoration)

decorate (make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.)

decorate (be beautiful to look at)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

decoration; laurel wreath; medal; medallion; palm; ribbon

Hypernyms ("decoration" is a kind of...):

accolade; award; honor; honour; laurels (a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "decoration"):

Medaille Militaire (a French military decoration)

Croix de Guerre (a French military decoration for gallantry)

Distinguished Service Order (a British military decoration for special service in action)

Distinguished Conduct Medal (a British military decoration for distinguished conduct in the field)

Victoria Cross (a British military decoration for gallantry)

Oak Leaf Cluster (a United States military decoration consisting of bronze or silver oak leaves and acorns awarded to anyone who has won a given medal before)

Order of the Purple Heart; Purple Heart (a United States military decoration awarded to any member of the armed forces who is wounded in action)

Bronze Star; Bronze Star Medal (a United States military decoration awarded for meritorious service (except in aerial flight))

Silver Star; Silver Star Medal (a United States military decoration for gallantry in action)

Air Medal (a United States Air Force decoration for meritorious achievement while participating in an aerial flight)

Distinguished Flying Cross (a United States Air Force decoration for heroism while participating in an aerial flight)

Navy Cross (a United States Navy decoration for extraordinary heroism against an armed enemy)

Distinguished Service Cross (a United States Army decoration for extraordinary heroism against an armed enemy)

Distinguished Service Medal (a United States military decoration for meritorious service in wartime duty of great responsibility)

Congressional Medal of Honor; Medal of Honor (the highest U.S. military decoration awarded for bravery and valor in action 'above and beyond the call of duty')

Derivation:

decorate (award a mark of honor, such as a medal, to)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of decorating something (in the hope of making it more attractive)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("decoration" is a kind of...):

change of state (the act of changing something into something different in essential characteristics)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "decoration"):

embellishment; ornamentation (the act of adding extraneous decorations to something)

window dressing (the decoration of shop windows)

trimming (the act of adding decoration)

tessellation (the act of adorning with mosaic)

figuration (decorating with a design)

tattoo (the practice of making a design on the skin by pricking and staining)

titivation; tittivation (sprucing up; making decorative additions to)

marking (the act of making a visible mark on a surface)

adornment (the action of decorating yourself with something colorful and interesting)

Derivation:

decorate (provide with decoration)

decorate (make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.)

decorate (be beautiful to look at)

 Context examples 

Or you may see a full-scale renovation or a new decoration project finish, one that makes you very happy—this is a joyous full moon.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Piercings and tattoos are body decorations that go back to ancient times.

(Piercing and Tattoos, NIH)

The actual official guardian of the papers is the famous government expert, Sir James Walter, whose decorations and sub-titles fill two lines of a book of reference.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Within there was a high and large hall, ornamented with Eastern decorations, which harmonized with the domes and minarets of the exterior.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

They were delighted with the renovation and decorations of their rooms; with the new drapery, and fresh carpets, and rich tinted china vases: they expressed their gratification ungrudgingly.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

When Mackintosh's Magazine published "The Palmist," featuring it with decorations by Berthier and with two pictures by Wenn, Hermann von Schmidt forgot that he had called the verses obscene.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

"Look at that picture," I commanded, pointing to a third decoration. "It means something. Tell me what it means to you."

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

And yet here you are, at the top of your life, where diminishing and dying begin, living an obscure and sordid existence, hunting sea animals for the satisfaction of woman’s vanity and love of decoration, revelling in a piggishness, to use your own words, which is anything and everything except splendid.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I shut up, as well as I could, in my own heart the anxiety that preyed there and entered with seeming earnestness into the plans of my father, although they might only serve as the decorations of my tragedy.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

An epigenetic mark, which can be thought of as a type of natural chemical decoration on the genome that regulates gene activity, can be induced and modified by environmental factors, such as dietary intake and lifestyle habits.

(International Research Team Finds Correlation Between Genetics and Obesity Is Modified by Diet, U.S. Department of Agriculture)