trinket

Meaning

Noun

1. A small showy ornament or piece of jewelry
2. A thing of little value; a trifle; a toy.
3. A three-cornered sail formerly carried on a ship's foremast, probably on a lateen yard.
4. (obsolete) A knife; a cutting tool, especially a cordwainer's knife or other small curved blade meant for leatherworking and possibly joined with an elsen.

Verb

To give trinkets; to court favour.

Synonyms

bauble

toy

knick-knack

trifle

gewgaw

gaud

fallal

bangle

novelty

bagatelle

amulet

bijou

kickshaw

talisman

trinketry

jewelry

chachka

knickknack

knick knack

doodad

littleness

nothing

chop

odds and ends

ornament

pendant

spangle

steak

folderal

tinsel

brummagem

trick

bibelot

falderol

ear-ring

gimcrack

jewellery

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈtɹɪŋkɪt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: trenket

Cognate with Old French: -

In summary

From Middle English trenket (“a cordwainer's knife”), hence, possibly, a similarly sized toy knife worn as an ornament; probably from an Old French dialectal form of trenchier (“to cut”). Compare trench.