gimcrack

[ jim-krak ]
See synonyms for gimcrack on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a showy, useless trifle; gewgaw.

adjective
  1. showy but useless.

Origin of gimcrack

1
1325–75 for earlier sense; Middle English gib(e)crake; compare Middle English gibben to waver (<Old French giber to shake)

Other words for gimcrack

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for gimcrack

gimcrack

/ (ˈdʒɪmˌkræk) /


adjective
  1. cheap; shoddy

noun
  1. a cheap showy trifle or gadget

Origin of gimcrack

1
C18: changed from C14 gibecrake little ornament, of unknown origin

Derived forms of gimcrack

  • gimcrackery, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012