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

The company’s multimedia collages, often blending canonical treasures with campy bric-a-brac, have worked to undo entrenched assumptions of theatrical perception.

From Los Angeles Times

As Norwich observes, you can chance upon worthy material not just in your reading but also in overheard conversations, advertisements, even on souvenir bric-a-brac.

From Washington Post

In the meantime, the soundsuits are tragic figures, girding themselves for violence, their bric-a-brac shells poised to absorb pain, which inevitably comes.

From New York Times

As the plot gathers steam and accelerates, Johnson again offers a blunt evisceration of the privileged and powerful, only with fancier cocktails, showier bric-a-brac and gaudier outfits.

From Los Angeles Times