Learn English – What to call an item that’s neither an accessory nor a piece of jewelry

single-word-requestsword-choiceword-usage

First let us paint a picture together.

Think of an individual whom wears clothes (like the lot of us); this individual also has an item around the wrist, which is not an item that affixes to another item (i.e. an accessory)

  • Accessory: Noun | A thing that can be added to something else in order to make it more useful, versatile, or attractive.

Also this item around this individual's wrist is not designed to enhance the aesthetic value of said person (i.e. jewelry)

  • Jewelry: Noun | Personal ornaments, such as necklaces, rings, or bracelets, that are typically made from or contain jewels and precious metal.

  • Ornament: Noun | A thing used to adorn something but usually having no practical purpose
    Adorn: Verb | Make more beautiful or attractive.

What then may I call it? Is there no word that defines an object worn, that is not clothing, not an accessory to another object, and is not an aesthetic enhancing piece of jewelry?

Think of a tool, but a tool that is designed to be worn on the body, not a tool that can be used off body of the wearer.

An example might be like how in a game an character has an extra item on their character that is designed to enhance the player in some measure; be that via magical endowment, status augmentation, etc…

We often think of jewelry in this example (earrings, necklaces, rings). But what if the piece of jewelry was hidden from sight, (under clothing) and not design for aesthetic purposes. At this point it is no longer jewelry.

Or, maybe, as I am writing this, the word accessory is the correct word! As what the accessory is being affixed to is the human body itself… (well I'm going to go ahead and post this question to see if anyone else may know of a better word.)

Best Answer

Accessory fits well, because the object is worn in addition to the regular clothing. If you insist, there are other words like accouterments, trappings and paraphernalia, but the meaning is more or less the same.