knickknack
Americannoun
Usage
What is a knickknack? A knickknack is a small decorative object, such as a little statue of a dog or a bobblehead.A knickknack is any keepsake, trinket, ornament, figure, or display piece that you own just to display it. Knickknacks can include small statues or figures, novelty candles or cups, and small toys. They can also include plastic figures based on pop culture, fidget devices such as cubes and spinners, stress balls, paperweights, and display boxes. Because knickknacks don’t take up much space, you generally don’t notice them much until you have so many that they clutter your space.Knickknacks are similar to gimcracks, which are showy, useless items, and the terms are often used interchangeably. The term bric-a-brac, another similar term, refers to small items that are collected for sentimental value, as a hobby, or for decorative purposes.Example: Every time I go to a garage sale, I come home with more knickknacks that clutter my shelves.
Other Word Forms
- knickknacked adjective
- knickknacky adjective
Etymology
Origin of knickknack
1610–20; gradational compound based on knack in obsolete sense “toy”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With hardwood floors, antique wallpaper, and fish-themed knickknacks, it’s the perfect vibe for a lakeside inn.
From Literature
There’s a clothing shop that, according to its colorful sign, sells “knickknacks and accessories.”
From Literature
She orders on average 25 to 30 items each month: knickknacks, party supplies, gifts worth a few dollars each.
Nor was she supervising the housemaids as they dusted knickknacks in the parlor.
From Literature
A mix of store-bought animatronics, handmade props and found objects — vintage lamps, creatures with elongated necks and an assortment of mystical, witchy knickknacks, fill every nook.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
