bauble
Americannoun
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baubles
plural
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a showy, usually cheap, ornament; trinket; gewgaw.
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a jester's scepter.
noun
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a showy toy or trinket of little value; trifle
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Usual US name: Christmas ornament. a small, usually spherical ornament made of coloured or decorated material which is hung from the branches of a Christmas tree
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(formerly) a mock staff of office carried by a court jester
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bauble
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English babel, babulle, from Old French babel, baubel, derivatives of an expressive base with varying vocalisms; compare Old French baubelet “little trinket”; see bibelot
Explanation
Baubles are trinkets or novelty items that cost little and aren’t very important or valuable, such as a plastic ring in the shape of a daisy that covers half of your finger in hot-pink plastic. Baubles: the Mardi Gras beads you collected last year, the small statue of the Eiffel tower your grandparents brought back from Paris, those big glass bulbs you use to decorate a Christmas tree, a computer mouse made to look like a hamburger.
Vocabulary lists containing bauble
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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.
See Examples For:
The Nobel Peace Prize is a tarnished bauble.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026
Even so, this direct-to-streaming bauble benefits from two leads whose charm effortlessly outshines the material.
From New York Times ● Nov. 28, 2024
"I gots yo back @jordanchiles," Flavor Falv wrote in an Instagram post showing the bauble.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2024
But if “The Instigators” isn’t peddling originality, the least it could do is justify its own existence by delivering a delightful bauble that reaffirms our affection for these stars and this milieu.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2024
“He cannot see the keys, and Brahmasura never knew what the sprig really was. She probably just thought it was a magical bauble that kept her beautiful.”
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
Faux jewels, sequins and shiny baubles were Parton’s signature once she became a household name.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Her name was her brand, and so, too, was her profile: the full bosom and tiny waist, platinum wig and baubles like sprinkles on an ice cream cone, 5 feet tall standing in five-inch heels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Last year, they disgorged travelers in the thousands to search for maritime baubles and seafood before returning to the ship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Then, they moved to the solarium, which already boasted a slew of colorful and lit up greenery, which they hung baubles from.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 30, 2025
They flew over the nine lakes, silver baubles in green alpine bowls.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
