attire

noun, verb — 3 senses

attire

noun

/əˈtaɪɚ/

Etymology The verb is from Middle English atyren, atiren, from Old French atirier (“to equip”), from a- + tire (“rank”), akin to German Zier (“ornament”) and Old Norse tírr (“glory, renown”). The noun is from Middle English atir, from the verb.

1

Business, Clothing, Fashion, Lifestyle, Manufacturing, Textiles One's dress; what one wears; one's clothes.

  • He was wearing his formal attire.
2

Government, Heraldry, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Monarchy, Nobility, Politics The single horn of a goat, deer or stag.

  • The latter sign, however, may have some heraldic significance, as Larwood and Hotten mention a London token of 1666 on which a horseshoe is represented within a pair of antlers or deer's attires.1887, Miller Christy, The Trade Signs of Essex: A Popular Account of the Origin and Meanings of the Public House & Other Signs Now Or Formerly Found in the County of Essex, page 51:
Derived terms
attirement, disattire, reattire, unattire
Related terms
regalia

attire

verb

Etymology The verb is from Middle English atyren, atiren, from Old French atirier (“to equip”), from a- + tire (“rank”), akin to German Zier (“ornament”) and Old Norse tírr (“glory, renown”). The noun is from Middle English atir, from the verb.

1

To clothe or adorn.

  • We will attire him in fine clothing so he can make a good impression.
  • He stood there, attired in his best clothes, waiting for applause.
Synonyms
dight, don, dress

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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