apparel Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun clothing in general
    dress; wearing apparel; clothes.
    • she was refined in her choice of apparel
    • he always bought his clothes at the same store
    • fastidious about his dress
  2. verb provide with clothes or put clothes on
    enclothe; garment; fit out; garb; raiment; habilitate; dress; tog; clothe.
    • Parents must feed and dress their child

WordNet

Ap*par"el noun
Etymology
OE. apparel, apareil, OF. apareil, appareil, preparation, provision, furniture, OF. apareiller to match, prepare, F. appareiller; OF. a (L. ad) + pareil like, similar, fr. LL. pariculus, dim. of L. par equal. See Pair.
Definitions
  1. External clothing; vesture; garments; dress; garb; external habiliments or array.
    Fresh in his new apparel, proud and young. Denham.
    At public devotion his resigned carriage made religion appear in the natural apparel of simplicity. Tatler.
  2. A small ornamental piece of embroidery worn on albs and some other ecclesiastical vestments.
  3. (Naut.) The furniture of a ship, as masts, sails, rigging, anchors, guns, etc. Syn. -- Dress; clothing; vesture; garments; raiment; garb; costume; attire; habiliments.
Ap*par"el transitive verb
Etymology
OF. apareiller.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Appareled, or Apparelled present participle & verbal noun Appareling, or Apparelling
Definitions
  1. To make or get (something) ready; to prepare. Obs. Chaucer.
  2. To furnish with apparatus; to equip; to fit out.
    Ships . . . appareled to fight. Hayward.
  3. To dress or clothe; to attire.
    They which are gorgeously appareled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts. Luke vii. 25.
  4. To dress with external ornaments; to cover with something ornamental; to deck; to embellish; as, trees appareled with flowers, or a garden with verdure.
    Appareled in celestial light. Wordsworth.

Webster 1913