gimcrack

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a showy ornament or object of little practical use or value

   The shelf was crowded with souvenirs, trinkets, and other gimcracks.

2. 2
   adj

   showy but cheaply made, flimsy, or of poor quality

   The stall sold gimcrack jewelry that tarnished within days.

Recorded in English from the late seventeenth century, gimcrack is of unknown origin. Its noun sense came first for a showy but nearly worthless object, followed by the adjective for something cheap or poorly made.

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