knickknack

American  

[nik-nak] / ˈnɪkˌnæk /

Or nicknack

noun

1. an ornamental trinket or gimcrack; a bit of bric-a-brac.

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Usage

What is a knickknack? A knickknack is a small decorative object, such as a little statue of a dog or a bobblehead. A knickknack is any keepsake, trinket, ornament, figure, or display piece that you own just to display it. Knickknacks can include small statues or figures, novelty candles or cups, and small toys. They can also include plastic figures based on pop culture, fidget devices such as cubes and spinners, stress balls, paperweights, and display boxes. Because knickknacks don’t take up much space, you generally don’t notice them much until you have so many that they clutter your space. Knickknacks are similar to gimcracks, which are showy, useless items, and the terms are often used interchangeably. The term bric-a-brac, another similar term, refers to small items that are collected for sentimental value, as a hobby, or for decorative purposes. Example: Every time I go to a garage sale, I come home with more knickknacks that clutter my shelves.

Other Word Forms

• knickknacked
  adjective
• knickknacky
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of knickknack

1610–20; gradational compound based on knack in obsolete sense “toy”

Explanation

You might love your tiny ceramic cat wearing a sombrero, but it’s just a knickknack, a small collectible ornament. A knickknack isn’t valuable — except sentimentally. Little statues, candles in quirky shapes, or prizes found inside cereal boxes, are all knickknacks. Anything that decorates or clutters the shelves of someone's home, especially if it's basically worthless, is a knickknack. The word knickknack was originally a 16th century version of "dirty trick," from knack, and its now-obsolete meaning "deception or trick." Don’t freak out if it’s spelled knick-knack because that’s ok too.

Related Words

• bauble
• bric-a-brac
• curio
• ornament
• souvenir
• trinket