bauble
Americannoun
-
baubles
plural
-
a showy, usually cheap, ornament; trinket; gewgaw.
-
a jester's scepter.
noun
-
a showy toy or trinket of little value; trifle
-
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
-
(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
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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!
Dracula
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!
This Week in Words: September 10 - 16, 2017
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.
See Examples For:
In the run up to Christmas, Zarwa has decorated a bauble for a Christmas tree at London's St Pancras station, created in partnership with the Gosh charity.
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025
Critics say he’s winging it, exaggerating wishes into declarations, tantalized by the bauble of a Nobel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 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
In the still shadows of the false dawn the companions hastened to the chicken roost where Eilonwy ventured to light her bauble.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
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
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
Holly, 34, from Reading, hunted in charity shops and vintage fairs for foil decorations, satin baubles, tablecloths and china.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2025
Twisted-stalk had baubles, little transparent red berries you could see into.
From "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen
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.
