/ əkˈsesəri; NAmE / noun , adjective
■ noun ( pl. -ies )
1.
[ usually pl. ] an extra piece of equipment that is useful but not essential or that can be added to sth else as a decoration :
bicycle accessories
a range of furnishings and accessories for the home
2.
[ usually pl. ] a thing that you can wear or carry that matches your clothes, for example a belt or a bag
3.
accessory (to sth) ( law ) a person who helps sb to commit a crime or who knows about it and protects the person from the police :
He was charged with being an accessory to murder.
an accessory before / after the fact (= before / after the crime was committed)
■ adjective
( technical ) not the most important when compared to others :
the accessory muscles of respiration
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from medieval Latin accessorius additional thing, from Latin access- increased, from the verb accedere from ad- to + cedere give way, yield.