bauble

American  

[baw-buhl] / ˈbɔ bəl /

noun

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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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”; bibelot

Example Sentences

So fear not, you might get an AI bauble or two but your phone won’t vanish.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 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

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

And there was Joe Mondragon’s beanfield, completely out of place to the west, an absurd green bauble in the otherwise desolate landscape slated to become a posh golf course.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Related Words

• knickknack
• trinket