decoration

noun

dek-uh-RAY-shuhn/ˌdɛkəˈɹeɪʃən/

Pluraldecorations

5 meanings of decoration

Practice

1
nouncountable
Something added to a place or object to make it look nicer.
Like stickers you put on a plain box to make it look fun.
We hung a paper decoration over the door for the party.
The decorations on the tree sparkled in the light.
Similarornament, embellishment, adornment, trimming
2
noununcountable
The act of making something look nice by adding pretty things.
Like putting frosting and sprinkles on a plain cake.
Decoration of the cake is the most fun part of baking.
They split the work, and she chose decoration over cooking.
Similarornamentation, adornment, embellishment
Note
3
nouncountable
A medal, ribbon, or badge given to honor someone for brave or great deeds.
Like a gold star a teacher gives you, but for very brave grown-ups.
The soldier wore a shiny decoration on his chest.
She received a decoration for her bravery during the rescue.
Similarmedal, award, honor
4
nounHong Konguncountable
The work of fixing up a room or building to make it look new again.
Like giving a tired old room a fresh new look.
The kitchen needs decoration after years of wear.
They saved money for the decoration of their new home.
Similarrefurbishment, renovation
Note
5
noununcountable
A trick used by some germs that cover themselves in unusual sugars to fool the body's defenses.
Like wearing a costume so the guards don't know who you are.
Some bacteria rely on decoration to slip past the body's defenses.
Scientists study how decoration lets harmful microbes avoid being attacked.
Note

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Origin

It comes from Latin decoratio, and is also linked to French décoration. It is made from 'decorate' plus '-ion'.