gimmick

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English

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Etymology

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Unknown. Possibly a rough anagram of magic or from gimme.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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gimmick (plural gimmicks)

  1. A trick or device used to attain some end.
    The box had a gimmick to make the coin appear to vanish.
    • April 19 2012, Scott Tobias, “Fightville”, in AV Club[1]:
      Epperlein and Tucker focus on two featherweight hopefuls: Dustin Poirier, a formidable contender who’s looking to parlay a history of schoolyard violence and street-fighting into a potential career, and Albert Stainback, a more thoughtful yet more erratic and undisciplined fighter whose chief gimmick is entering the ring wearing a hat like the one Malcolm McDowell wore in A Clockwork Orange.
    • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel:
      Rear Admiral Mikhailovich: I don't begrudge the politicians' decision to throw you to the Council. It's an... opportunity. I do begrudge this overdesigned piece of tin, though.
      Shepard: The Normandy is a fine ship, sir. She's served us well so far.
      Rear Admiral Mikhailovich: It's a gimmick, Commander. Useless in a stand-up fight.
      Rear Admiral Mikhailovich: This experiment diverted billions from our apportions bills. For the same price, we could've had a heavy cruiser.
      Rear Admiral Mikhailovich: But no, we had to make nice to the turians. Throw money at a co-developed boondoggle.
  2. A clever ploy or strategy.
    The contest was a gimmick to get people to sign up for their mailing list.
  3. (electronics) A gimmick capacitor.
  4. (Philippines) A night out with one's friends.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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gimmick (third-person singular simple present gimmicks, present participle gimmicking, simple past and past participle gimmicked)

  1. To rig or set up with a trick or device.
    The magician's box was gimmicked with a wire that made it appear to open on its own.

Translations

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Chinese

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Etymology

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From English gimmick.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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gimmick

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) gimmick

Adjective

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gimmick

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) gimmicky
    gimmick [Cantonese]  ―  gim1 mik4 je5 [Jyutping]  ―  things with gimmicks

References

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French

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English gimmick.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ɡi.mik/
    • Audio (Quebec, Mauricie, Shawinigan, vernacular French):(file)

Noun

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gimmick m (plural gimmicks)

  1. gimmick