Decor

How to spell decor

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce decor

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does decor mean?

1. nounThe style and arrangement of furnishings, colours, and decoration in a room or building.

Decor in a sentence

• The hotel lobby had a sleek, modern decor that impressed every guest.

• They spent the weekend updating the decor of their living room.

Where does decor come from?

Language of origin: French

This word came into English from the French décor, which means a stage setting or the general arrangement of a scene. The French noun grew out of the verb décorer, 'to decorate', which descends directly from the Latin decorare, meaning 'to adorn' or 'to make beautiful'. That Latin verb was built on decus, a noun for grace, ornament, or honour, so the deepest sense is something added to make a space pleasing to the eye. English adopted the term in the late nineteenth century, first as theatrical jargon for the painted scenery of a stage, then quickly broadening to mean the furnishing and styling of any room. In British usage the bare spelling decor is now common alongside the accented décor, while American writers almost always drop the accent; that lost acute accent is the only real spelling wrinkle, since the word is otherwise written exactly as it sounds.

How the word is built

• decor (from French décor, a setting or scene) borrowed whole; ultimately from Latin decorare (to adorn)