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Origin and history of embellish

embellish(v.)

mid-14c., "to render beautiful," from Old French embelliss-, stem of embellir "make beautiful, ornament," from assimilated form of en- (see en- (1)) + bel "beautiful," from Latin bellus "handsome, pretty, fine" (see belle). Meaning "dress up (a narration) with fictitious matter" is from mid-15c. Related: Embellished; embellishing.

also from mid-14c.

Entries linking to embellish

belle(n.)

"beautiful woman well-dressed; reigning beauty," 1620s, from French belle, from Old French bele, from Latin bella, fem. of bellus "beautiful, fair," from PIE *dwenelo-, diminutive form of root *deu- (2) "to do, perform; show favor, revere." Related to bonus "good" (see bonus). "The dim. meaning is the reason why bellus was originally used to refer to women and children; it was applied to men only ironically" [de Vaan, who adds that "The PIE etymology is disputed"].

embellishment(n.)

"act of embellishing; state of being embellished," 1590s, from embellish + -ment; or from Old French embelissement. Earlier noun was embellishing (mid-15c.).

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deck
mid-15c., dekke, "covering extending from side to side over part of a ship," from a nautical use of Middle Dutch dec, decke "roof, covering," from Proto-Germanic *thakam (source also of thatch (n.)), from PIE root *(s)teg- "to cover." Sense extended early in English from "coverin
adorn
late 14c., aournen, later adornen, "to decorate, embellish," also "be an ornament to," from Old French aorner "to order, arrange, dispose, equip; adorn," from Latin adornare "equip, provide, furnish;" also "decorate, embellish," from ad "to" (see ad-) + ornare "prepare, furnish,
decorate
1520s, "deck with something becoming or ornamental, adorn, beautify," from Latin decoratus, past participle of decorare "to decorate, adorn, embellish, beautify," from decus (genitive decoris) "an ornament; grace, dignity, honor," from PIE root *dek- "to take, accept." Earlier wa
decorative
blemishes," from Old French decoratif and directly from decorat-, past-participle stem of Latin decorare "to decorate, adorn, embellish...
imagine
mid-14c., "to form a mental image of," from Old French imaginer "sculpt, carve, paint; decorate, embellish" (13c.), from...
mangonel
Latin *manganum "machine," from Greek manganon "any means of tricking or bewitching," said to be from a PIE *mang- "to embellish...
decor
," from French décor (18c.), back-formation from décorer "to decorate" (14c.), from Latin decorare "to decorate, adorn, embellish...
change
c. 1200, "to alter, make different, change" (transitive); early 13c. as "to substitute one for another;" mid-13c. as "to make (something) other than what it was, cause to turn or pass from one state to another;" from late 13c. as "to become different, be altered" (intransitive),
become
Middle English bicomen, from Old English becuman "happen, come about, befall," also "meet with, fall in with; arrive, approach, enter," from Proto-Germanic *bikweman (source also of Dutch bekomen, Old High German biqueman "obtain," German bekommen, Gothic biquiman). A compound of
suit
c. 1300, sute, also suete, suite, seute, "a band of followers; a retinue, company;" also "set of matching garments" worn by such persons, "matching livery or uniform;" hence "kind, sort; the same kind, a match;" also "pursuit, chase," and in law, "obligation (of a tenant) to atte

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