knickknack C2+ Topic:General Vocabulary US /ˈnɪkˌnæk/ UK /ˈnɪknæk/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a small worthless ornament or trinket Her shelves were crowded with every knickknack she had ever collected. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a small worthless ornament... trinketbaubleornamenttriflegewgawbibelotcurio Word family Related forms knack Etymology AI details A reduplication of knack, which originally meant a clever trick or toy, from Middle English knak ('sharp blow, trick'), of imitative origin. knak Middle English View etymology graph -> Topics General Vocabulary External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # knickknack **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈnɪkˌnæk/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈnɪknæk/ ## Meanings 1. a small worthless ornament or trinket ## Examples - Her shelves were crowded with every knickknack she had ever collected. ## Synonyms - trinket - bauble - ornament - trifle - gewgaw - bibelot - curio ## Related Forms - knack ## Roots and Affixes - Root: knak ## Etymology A reduplication of knack, which originally meant a clever trick or toy, from Middle English knak ('sharp blow, trick'), of imitative origin. ## AI Etymology Knickknack is a reduplication of knack, which originally meant a clever trick or toy, from Middle English knak ('sharp blow, trick'), of imitative origin. The etymological trail includes Middle English knak. The same word family includes knack. Its current noun use means "a small worthless ornament or trinket". ## Topics - General Vocabulary markdown