knickknack
or nick·nack
[nik-nak]
- an ornamental trinket or gimcrack; a bit of bric-a-brac.
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Origin of knickknack
1610–20; gradational compound based on knack in obsolete sense “toy”
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
curioornamentbaublesouvenirbric-a-bractrifletoythingamajigfrillgadgetnoveltyembellishmentwhimsyminiatureshowpiecebagatellecuriositydevicenotionplaythingExamples from the Web for knickknack
Historical Examples
“Perhaps one or two smaller things, a knickknack or two,” he moaned.
The InevitableLouis Couperus
He well represented the spirit and workmanship of the eighteenth century in the knickknack art of the Second Empire.
Rodin: The Man and his ArtJudith Cladel
The girls helped to make the cave more homelike, and the lads appreciated every decoration and knickknack given them.
Tramping with TrampsJosiah Flynt