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gimcrack

[ jim-krak ]
/ ˈdʒɪmˌkræk /
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See synonyms for: gimcrack / gimcracks on Thesaurus.com
noun
a showy, useless trifle; gewgaw.
adjective
showy but useless.
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Origin of gimcrack

1325–75 for earlier sense; Middle English gib(e)crake; compare Middle English gibben to waver (<Old French giber to shake)

Words nearby gimcrack

gilt-edged, gilthead, Gilyak, gimbals, Gimbel, gimcrack, gimcrackery, gimel, gimlet, gimlet eye, gimmal
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to gimcrack

gewgaw, trinket, bagatelle, bauble, doodad, knickknack, novelty, souvenir, curio

How to use gimcrack in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gimcrack

gimcrack
/ (ˈdʒɪmˌkræk) /
adjective
cheap; shoddy
noun
a cheap showy trifle or gadget

Derived forms of gimcrack

gimcrackery, noun

Word Origin for gimcrack

C18: changed from C14 gibecrake little ornament, 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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