n.
(pl. accessories)
- a thing which can be added to something else in order to make it more useful, versatile, or attractive.
▸a small article carried or worn to complement a garment.
-
(also accessary)
Law a person who assists the perpetrator of a crime without taking part in it.
adj.
chiefly technical subsidiary or supplementary.
Derivative
- accessorial adj. (chiefly Law ).
Etymology
ME: from med. L. accessorius ‘additional thing’, from L. access-, accedere (see accede).