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gewgaw

[ gyoo-gaw, goo- ]
/ ˈgyu gɔ, ˈgu- /
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See synonyms for: gewgaw / gewgaws on Thesaurus.com

noun
something gaudy and useless; trinket; bauble.
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Also gee·gaw [jee-gaw, gee-] /ˈdʒi gɔ, ˈgi-/ .

Origin of gewgaw

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English giuegaue; gradational compound of uncertain origin; perhaps akin to Middle French, French gogo (see (à) gogo)

OTHER WORDS FROM gewgaw

gewgawed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gewgaw in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gewgaw

gewgaw
/ (ˈɡjuːɡɔː, ˈɡuː-) /

noun
a showy but valueless trinket
adjective
showy and valueless; gaudy

Word Origin for gewgaw

C15: of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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