decorate

Everyday

1. To make something look nicer by adding pretty things: decorate the cake with icing. tree →
2. To paint walls or put up wallpaper in a room (mainly UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ). tree →
3. To give someone a medal or honour: the soldier was decorated for bravery. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life families decorate trees, cakes, classrooms and houses for festivals and birthdays. In art and D&T lessons pupils decorate their work. In history, soldiers are decorated for bravery. In maths, decorating problems ask how much paint or wallpaper is needed (area). Phrases: decorate with, decorate the tree, painting and decorating.

Examples

• We decorated the classroom for the party. tree →
• Decorate your cake with sprinkles. tree →
• Dad is decorating my bedroom this weekend. tree →
• The firefighter was decorated for saving the children. tree →
• We decorated eggs with bright paints. tree →
• One tin of paint covers 12 square metres, so a wall of 36 square metres needs 3 tins to decorate. tree →
• The palace was elegantly decorated for the occasion. tree →

Note

Regular verb: decorated, decorating. Nouns: decoration, decorator (a person who paints rooms). In maths, decorating questions are often about area (length x width).