accoutrement

/əˈkutərmənt/

Other forms: accoutrements

Does that shiny new car come with all the bells and whistles? Then it has plenty of accoutrements, or accessories.

Say accoutrement with a French accent and you'll be referring to an outfit — a particularly bizarre outfit. But when we borrowed the word from France, it evolved to refer to any kind of trappings or extras, especially clothing accessories. So an accoutrement can be anything from a belt or bangles, to extra cup holders and heated bucket seats.

Definitions of accoutrement

1. noun

   clothing that is worn or carried, but not part of your main clothing
   synonyms: accessory, accouterment

   types:

   belt

   a band to tie or buckle around the body (usually at the waist)

   furnishing, trappings

   (usually plural) accessory wearing apparel

   baldric, baldrick

   a wide (ornamented) belt worn over the right shoulder to support a sword or bugle by the left hip

   cartridge belt

   a broad belt with loops or pockets for holding ammunition

   holster

   a belt with loops or slots for carrying small hand tools

   money belt

   belt with a concealed section for holding money

   life belt, safety belt, safety harness

   belt attaching you to some object as a restraint in order to prevent you from getting hurt

   Sam Browne belt

   leather belt supported by a strap over the right shoulder

   type of:

   article of clothing, clothing, habiliment, vesture, wear, wearable

   a covering designed to be worn on a person's body
2. noun

   an additional piece of equipment used for some activity
   type of:

   equipment

   an instrumentality needed for an undertaking or to perform a service