decorative

Etymology

From Latin decorātus + -ive. Cognate with French décoratif.

adj

1. That serves to decorate
   Elegant brick and stone buildings, with iron and glass canopies and decorative wooden scalloping and fencing—all evidencing care on the part of the architect to produce a pleasing, well-planned building—were submerged beneath a profusion of ill-conceived additions and camouflaged by vulgar paint schemes; and the original conception was lost. 1962 October, Brian Haresnape, “Focus on B.R. passenger stations”, in Modern Railways, pages 250–251
   The parsnip, stilton and chestnut combination may taste good, but it's not terribly decorative. In fact, dull's the word, a lingering adjectival ghost of nut roasts past that I'm keen to banish from the table. December 15, 2011, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, in Guardian

noun

1. A plant, tile, etc. intended for use as decoration.
   Analysts said the company’s results were in line, but noted that organic growth at the decoratives business was slightly weaker than expected. October 24, 2007, The Associated Press, “Dutch Maker of Chemicals Reports Drop in Earnings”, in New York Times