Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Serving to decorate or embellish; ornamental.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Of or pertaining to decoration; concerned with decoration: as, decorative art.
- Of an ornamental nature; decorating; embellishing.
Wiktionary
- adj. That serves to decorate
- n. A plant, tile, etc. intended for use as decoration.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Suited to decorate or embellish; adorning.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. serving an esthetic rather than a useful purpose
Examples
“The architects and the artists who are associated with them in the work of supplying us with what we call decorative arts of all sorts, form the only class of the community to whom the rest of the community can look to for advancement in this direction.”
The American Architect and Building News, Vol. 27, Jan-Mar, 1890
“Schwanthaler had remarkable powers of invention and a fruitful imagination; in these points he ranks with the first of modern sculptors; but his works rarely rise above what we call decorative art, and in spite of his excellent gifts he lacked the power to arouse any enthusiasm for his statues.”
A History of Art for Beginners and Students Painting, Sculpture, Architecture
“Cloth was expensive and hard to come by so the fabric often could not be spared for use in decorative work such as a quilt; previously worn clothing would more likely be refashioned to be worn by another family member.”
The Huffington Post: Kate Kelly: American Quilts as Art as Well as Documents of Politics and History
“Above the eagle and shield are three stars, which are purely decorative is in the centre of the shirt and the makers, Le Coq Sportif, have their logo on the top right of the shirt.”
“Traditional Savon de Marseille Olive oil Soap block in decorative tin”
“His work is regarded as one of the outstanding achievements in American decorative arts.”
“Check out this gallery of hand-painted Russian mice in decorative styles includingÂChochloma, generally used on decorative plates and dishes.”
Boing Boing: September 18, 2005 - September 24, 2005 Archives
“But the ornament may also have taken its comma-like shape from the Yo and the Yin, the positive and the negative principles which by Chinese cosmographists were accounted the great primordial factors, and which occupy a prominent place in Japanese decorative art as the tomoye.”
A History of the Japanese People From the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era
“What is true about the drama and the novel is no less true about those arts that we call the decorative arts.”
“What is true about the drama and the novel is no less true about those arts that we call the decorative arts.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘decorative’.
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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IMCO - EU nomenclature
includes words of the "Prodcom list"
abaca, abdominal, abrasive, absorbent, absorber, accelerator, accessory, account book, accumulator, acebutolol, acetaldehyde, acetamide and 4515 more...
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The Request Line
This is the place to add words you'd like Charles Harrington Elster to pronounce for you!
swingeing, affiant, dahlia, hydrangea, re, clematis, Nabokov, casu marzu, schadenfreudgeon, nefarious, mewl, manteion and 170 more...
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Fauvism
Words to describe art of the fauvist movement
wild, beast, color, fauve, fauvism, fauvist, avant garde, floating, violent, outrageous, radical, dynamite and 82 more...
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Rococo
Words that describe the decadent Rococo art of the early 18th Century
Baroque, hedonistic, sensuality, pretty, elaborate, flirtation, chauvinistic, cupid, decorative, playful, vibrant, exuberant and 31 more...
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Hard to spell words
The words on this list are difficult to spell for easy spellers but they should be known by fifth grade, by age 10.
discussed, economy, effective, acquire, require, misled, disorder, disgust, disguise, disarrangement, arranged, voila and 19 more...
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fred's string
this list is a list.
shingle, inflatable, throbbing, bludge, tendon, weiner, gutter, bong, glacier, kite, giggle, sibling and 52 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for decorative.
ruzuzu I have a dear friend who pronounces this "de-COR-a-tive" (rhymes with pejorative). Sep 9, 2010