bauble

American  

[baw-buhl] / ˈbɔ bəl /

noun

• baubles
  plural

1. a showy, usually cheap, ornament; trinket; gewgaw.

2. a jester's scepter.

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bauble British  

/ ˈbɔːbəl /

noun

1. a showy toy or trinket of little value; trifle

2. 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

3. (formerly) a mock staff of office carried by a court jester

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• baubles
  plural

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bauble baubles

The Nobel Peace Prize is a tarnished bauble.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026

Each year Ellie Goan hangs two special decorations on her Christmas tree, a star and bauble - reminders of the two pregnancies she lost.

From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2025

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

Shortly after I collected the last of the game’s nineteen treasures, a tiny brass bauble, a notice flashed in my display informing me that the Vonnegut had arrived outside.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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

Her answer was definite: We should sort out and sell or give away almost all of our trinkets, T-shirts, books and baubles before we die—rather than leaving a dreary chore for friends or families.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 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

And I’d found my share of baubles while searching the wrack line.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

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Related Words

• knickknack
• trinket

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