tchotchke
Americannoun
Usage
What does tchotchke mean? A tchotchke is a small, cheap, ornamental trinket or souvenir; a knickknack. Tchotchke is taken from Yiddish, a dialect of German based on Hebrew. It has several English spellings, including chotchke, tchachke, and chachki. In Yiddish, it is also sometimes used as a term for a young girl or pretty woman. Example: My mother can’t go on vacation without coming back with a few tchotchkes.
Etymology
Origin of tchotchke
First recorded in 1965–70, from Yiddish tshatshke, from Polish czaczko “bibelot, knickknack” (now obsolete; compare modern cacko with same sense, originally dialect); of expressive origin
Explanation
A tchotchke is a small, decorative object that's not valuable or precious. When you travel to a foreign country, you might buy some tchotchkes to give as gifts to your friends back home. A tchotchke is some kind of trinket or bauble, like inexpensive jewelry or the prize you get in a cereal box. Less often, tchotchke is used to mean "pretty girl or woman." The word comes, via Yiddish, from a Slavic root, and over the years it's been spelled in numerous different ways. When you pronounce tchotchke, the first t is silent.
Vocabulary lists containing tchotchke
National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
More English Words Derived from Yiddish
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Warrior Girl Unearthed
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But young customers are rare—“1 out of 100,” he says—and they are usually seeking less a timepiece than an old-timey tchotchke, “something their parents or grandparents had.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
Old Town, my slightly disheveled neighborhood of churches, Mexican-adjacent tchotchke shops, is where missionaries established their first mission, colonizing the town that belonged to the country south of the US border.
From Salon • May 9, 2026
Avoiding further harm is of the utmost importance when taking on a project — even when it’s a beloved family tchotchke.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2023
The “This Is Fine” dog by KC Green was a going-away gift from a former colleague, and it’s the perfect desk tchotchke.
From The Verge • Jan. 27, 2022
Particularly when I remember that I’m one of the ancient dusty people, filed away like some worthless tchotchke.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
