accessories
accessories — noun
1. items such as jewellery, bags, belts, or scarves that you wear or carry with you
items such as jewellery, bags, belts, or scarves that you wear or carry with your main clothing to add style or usefulness.
Amara picked out a silver necklace and matching earrings to go with her dress.
collocation: fashion accessories / silver accessories
The boutique on Elm Street sells silk scarves, leather handbags, and crystal hair accessories for weddings.
plural noun for clothing add-ons; concrete shop context
Before the wedding, Sofia spent two hours choosing the right hair accessories.
- adornment
more formal and poetic; emphasises decoration rather than usefulness
- ornament
suggests purely decorative purpose, not practical
- accoutrements
formal or military-style items; much less common in everyday speech
- essential
something that is necessary rather than extra
- bare minimum
the plain, unadorned outfit without extras
用法筆記
This is the most common meaning of 'accessories' — almost always in plural form. A single item is 'an accessory' (e.g. 'a belt is a useful accessory').
常見錯誤
2. extra parts or devices that you can add to a machine, piece of equipment, or ele
extra parts or devices that you can add to a machine, piece of equipment, or electronic product to improve its performance or usefulness.
The camera package includes a memory card, a protective case, and several other useful accessories.
pattern: includes / comes with [product] + accessories
You can buy a wireless keyboard and mouse as accessories for your tablet.
Mei-Lin ordered a phone stand and a screen protector from the accessories section.
- add-on
informal; common for software and electronic extras
- attachment
focuses on something physically fixed to the main device
- extra
very general; less precise than 'accessory'
- main component
the core part, without which the device cannot function
用法筆記
Common before nouns ('accessory shop', 'accessory kit'). The singular form is used for one specific extra part ('a useful accessory for any cyclist is a rear light').
常見錯誤
3. a person who helps plan a crime or helps someone else to commit a crime, but doe
a person who helps plan a crime or helps someone else to commit a crime, but does not actually take part in the illegal act itself.
The driver who waited outside the bank was charged as an accessory to the robbery.
legal pattern: charged as an accessory to [crime]
Prosecutors argued that the accountant acted as an accessory by providing false financial records before the theft.
Under UK law, a security guard who helped plan a jewellery theft by disabling the alarm system can face the same sentence as the thieves who entered the store.
- accomplice
broader term; can mean someone who actually participated, not just helped
- abetter
more formal legal term; often used in phrase 'aider and abetter'
- bystander
someone who witnesses but does not help in any way
文法句型
accessory before the fact
accessory to [crime]
用法筆記
In legal contexts, 'accessory to a crime' covers both preparation (before the fact) and presence (during the fact). The preposition 'to' is always used: 'accessory to murder', 'accessory to fraud'.
常見錯誤
4. a person who helps a criminal avoid being caught or punished after the crime has
a person who helps a criminal avoid being caught or punished after the crime has happened — for example, by hiding them or lying to the police.
Omar's mother was convicted as an accessory after the fact for hiding him in the family basement.
legal pattern: accessory after the fact + convicted
When Yuna's brother confessed to stealing from a cash register, she hid the money in her bag and was charged as an accessory after the fact.
legal pattern: accessory after the fact + charged; concrete hiding action
When Keiko discovered her neighbour had committed tax fraud but chose not to tell the authorities, the judge ruled that mere silence does not make someone an accessory after the fact.
- informer
someone who reports a crime to the authorities
文法句型
accessory after the fact
用法筆記
This is a specific legal category, distinct from 'accessory before the fact' (help plan a crime) and 'principal' (commit the crime). The key element is knowing help after the crime — not just silence or inaction.
常見錯誤
accessories — adjective
1. added to or used with the main item to provide extra help or usefulness, without
added to or used with the main item to provide extra help or usefulness, without being essential.
The device comes with several accessory tools, including a brush for cleaning the filter.
attributive use: accessory + noun (accessory tools)
Students can purchase accessory software at a reduced price when they buy the main textbook.
The warranty covers the main unit but not the accessory parts such as the charging cable.
- supplementary
more formal; common in academic and technical writing
- secondary
emphasises lower importance rather than optional addition
- auxiliary
technical; suggests the item provides backup support (e.g. auxiliary power)
用法筆記
This adjective is almost always used before a noun (attributive position). You would not normally say 'this part is accessory' — instead say 'this is an accessory part'.
常見錯誤
2. describing a person who works under someone else's authority or carries out supp
describing a person who works under someone else's authority or carries out supporting tasks in a lower-ranking role.
The vice president serves in an accessory capacity to the CEO, handling tasks that the CEO delegates.
formal legal/organisational pattern: accessory capacity
In anatomy class, Dr. Nakamura showed how the spinal accessory nerve works alongside the main nerves to help coordinate shoulder and neck movement.
anatomical term showing subordinate/auxiliary function alongside main nerves
At the publishing house, junior editors handle accessory tasks like proofreading and indexing while senior editors focus on content acquisition.
- subordinate
the standard modern word for lower rank or position
- secondary
emphasises lower importance rather than direct authority
- ancillary
formal; describes staff or services that support the main operation
用法筆記
This sense is quite formal and somewhat dated in everyday speech. It survives mainly in legal contexts and in fixed technical terms like 'accessory nerve' (anatomy) or 'accessory mineral' (geology).