knickknack

or nick·nack

[ nik-nak ]

/ ˈnɪkˌnæk /

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR knickknack ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an ornamental trinket or gimcrack; a bit of bric-a-brac.

RELATED WORDS

curio, ornament, bauble, souvenir, bric-a-brac, trifle, toy, thingamajig, frill, gadget, novelty, embellishment, whimsy, miniature, showpiece, bagatelle, curiosity, device, notion, plaything

Nearby words

knickerbocker, knickerbocker glory, knickerbockers, knickered, knickers, knickknack, knickpoint, knies, kniest syndrome, knife, knife box

Origin of knickknack

1610–20; gradational compound based on knack in obsolete sense “toy”

Related forms

knick·knacked, adjectiveknick·knack·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for knickknack

“Perhaps one or two smaller things, a knickknack or two,” he moaned.
The Inevitable|Louis Couperus
The girls helped to make the cave more homelike, and the lads appreciated every decoration and knickknack given them.
Tramping with Tramps|Josiah Flynt
He well represented the spirit and workmanship of the eighteenth century in the knickknack art of the Second Empire.
Rodin: The Man and his Art|Judith Cladel