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accessorily

 - 5 dictionary results

ac⋅ces⋅so⋅ry

  [ak-ses-uh-ree] noun, plural -ries, adjective
Use accessorily in a Sentence
–noun
1. a subordinate or supplementary part, object, or the like, used mainly for convenience, attractiveness, safety, etc., as a spotlight on an automobile or a lens cover on a camera.
2. an article or set of articles of dress, as gloves, earrings, or a scarf, that adds completeness, convenience, attractiveness, etc., to one's basic outfit.
3. Law.
a. Also called accessory before the fact. a person who, though not present during the commission of a felony, is guilty of having aided and abetted another, who committed the felony.
b. Also called accessory after the fact. a person who knowingly conceals or assists another who has committed a felony. Compare principal (def. 9b).
4. Anatomy. accessory nerve.
–adjective
5. contributing to a general effect; supplementary; subsidiary.
6. Law. giving aid as an accessory.
7. Petrography. (of a mineral) being present in small amounts in a rock and having no bearing on the classification of the rock, as zircon in granite.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME accessorie (< MF) < ML accessōrius. See accede, -tory 1

Related forms:
ac⋅ces⋅so⋅ri⋅ly, adverb
ac⋅ces⋅so⋅ri⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. See addition. 3. accomplice.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To accessorily
ac·ces·so·ry   (āk-sěs'ə-rē)   
n.   pl. ac·ces·so·ries

    1. A subordinate or supplementary item; an adjunct.

    2. Something nonessential but desirable that contributes to an effect or result. See Synonyms at appendage.

    3. One who incites, aids, or abets a lawbreaker in the commission of a crime but is not present at the time of the crime. Also called accessory before the fact.

    4. One who aids a criminal after the commission of a crime, but was not present at the time of the crime. Also called accessory after the fact.

  2. Law

    1. One who incites, aids, or abets a lawbreaker in the commission of a crime but is not present at the time of the crime. Also called accessory before the fact.

    2. One who aids a criminal after the commission of a crime, but was not present at the time of the crime. Also called accessory after the fact.

adj.  

  1. Having a secondary, supplementary, or subordinate function.

  2. Law Serving to aid or abet a lawbreaker, either before or after the commission of the crime, without being present at the time the crime was committed.


[Middle English accessorie, from Medieval Latin accessōrius, from accessor, helper, from Latin accessus, approach; see access.]
ac'ces·so'ri·al (-sə-sôr'ē-əl, -sōr-) adj., ac·ces'so·ri·ly adv., ac·ces'so·ri·ness n.
Usage Note: Although the pronunciation (ə-sěs'ə-rē), with no (k) sound in the first syllable, is commonly heard, it is not accepted by a majority of the Usage Panel. In a recent survey, 87 percent of the Panelists disapproved of it. The 13 percent that accepted the pronunciation were divided on usage: more than half accepted the (k)-less pronunciation for all senses. A few approved of it only in fashion contexts, and a few others approved of it only in legal contexts.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: ac·ces·so·ry
Variant: also ac·ces·sa·ry /ik-'se-s&-rE, ak-/
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ries
Etymology: Medieval Latin accessorius subordinate matter, accomplice to a crime, from Latin accedere to go to, agree, assent
1 : a person who is not actually or constructively present but with criminal intent contributes as an assistant or instigator to the commission of a felony called also accessory before the fact —compare principal in the second degree at PRINCIPAL
NOTE: The traditional distinction between accessories before the fact and principals, that accessories were not present and principals were present at the commission of the crime, is not recognized under most modern state statutes. Accessories before the fact are usually considered principals.
2 : a person who knowing that a felony has been committed aids, assists, or shelters the offender with the intent to defeat justice called also accessory after the fact
NOTE: Many state statutes now omit the term accessory after the fact and instead characterize the accessory as having committed a particular offense, such as obstructing justice.
3 : the crime of being an accessory —usually used with to and specifying the crime accessory to murder —H. B. Zobel>;—compare SUBSTANTIVE CRIME —ac·ces·so·ry·ship noun
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 2accessory
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ries
: ACCESSORY NERVE
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

accessory ac·ces·so·ry (āk-sěs'ə-rē)
adj.

  1. Having a secondary, supplementary, or subordinate function.

  2. Of, relating to, or being a body part, such as a gland, nerve, or muscle, that is anatomically auxiliary.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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