bric-a-brac

American  

[brik-uh-brak] / ˈbrɪk əˌbræk /

Or bric-à-brac

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. miscellaneous small articles collected for their antiquarian, sentimental, decorative, or other interest.

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bric-a-brac British  

/ ˈbrɪkəˌbræk /

noun

1. miscellaneous small objects, esp furniture and curios, kept because they are ornamental or rare

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Etymology

Origin of bric-a-brac

1830–40; < French, Middle French: literally, at random, without rhyme or reason; gradational compound from elements of obscure origin

Example Sentences

Essentially, he adds, “I did a ton of schooling to return to what I was doing as a kid, burning my Transformers and making new materials out of the quotidian bric-a-brac in front of me.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2023

Another expedition involved visiting a “car boot sale,” a flea market particular to the U.K. in which ordinary folk park their cars in a field and sell bric-a-brac from the trunk.

From New York Times • Oct. 14, 2022

A woman who found two portraits by a 20th Century British artist on a church bric-a-brac stall has described it as her "Fiona Bruce" moment.

From BBC • Aug. 5, 2022

Photos of prominent Black Bermudians, newspaper clippings, period clothing, depictions of life for enslaved people and period bric-a-brac crowd the museum walls, tables and display cases.

From Washington Post • Apr. 29, 2022

Most of those sales were probably for the usual bric-a-brac and curios the scenarioists bought for themselves, but the tally was easily going to be the best of the summer.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu