trinket

English

Etymology

Old English trenket (“a sort of knife”), hence, probably, a toy knife worn as an ornament; probably from an (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French dialectal form of trenchier (“to cut”). Compare trench.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪŋkɪt

Noun

trinket (plural trinkets)

1. A small showy ornament or piece of jewelry

   That little trinket around her neck must have cost a bundle.

2. A thing of little value; a trifle; a toy.

   It's only a little trinket, but it reminds her of him.

   • 1927-29, M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, translated 1940 by Mahadev Desai, Part I, Chapter xxiii:

     There is no art about the Eiffel Tower. In no way can it be said to have contributed to the real beauty of the Exhibition. Men flocked to see it and ascended it as it was a novelty and of unique dimensions. It was the toy of the Exhibition. So long as we are children we are attracted by toys, and the Tower was a good demonstration of the fact that we are all children attracted by trinkets. That may be claimed to be the purpose served by the Eiffel Tower.

3. (nautical) A three-cornered sail formerly carried on a ship's foremast, probably on a lateen yard.
   • Hakluyt

     Sailing always with the sheets of mainsail and trinket warily in our hands.

4. (obsolete) A knife; a cutting tool.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Tusser to this entry?)

Synonyms

• (small ornament): See also: Thesaurus:trinket
• (item of little value): See also: Thesaurus:trifle

Translations

a small showy ornament or piece of jewelry

• Catalan: quincalla (ca) f, galindaina f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 小飾物／小饰物, 小饰物 (xiǎo shìwù), 小玩意 (zh) (xiǎo wányì)

• Czech: cetka f
• Dutch: kleinood (nl)
• French: colifichet (fr) m, bibelot (fr) m, breloque (fr) f
• German: Schmuck (de) m
• Greek: μπιχλιμπίδι (el) n (bichlimpídi)

  Ancient: λῆρος m (lêros)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Irish: daighsín m
• Italian: gingillo (it) m, ciondolo (it) m, fronzolo (it) m, ninnolo (it) m, cineseria (it) f
• Japanese: 小物 (こもの, komono), 安ピカ (yasupika)
• Norwegian: smykke (no) n, verdigjenstand m, nips pl
• Persian: زلم زیمبو (fa) (zalam-zimbo)
• Russian: побряку́шка (ru) f (pobrjakúška), безделу́шка (ru) f (bezdelúška)
• Spanish: perendengue (es) m, oropel (es)
• Swedish: krimskrams (sv), krusiduller (sv) c pl

a mere trifle

• Catalan: fotesa (ca) f, petitesa (ca) f, bagatel·la f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 瑣事／琐事 (zh) (suǒshì), 琐事 (zh) (suǒshì), 小事 (zh) (xiǎoshì)

• Czech: cetka f
• Dutch: prullaria (nl), snuisterij (nl)
• Finnish: hely (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• French: babiole (fr) f, bricole (fr) f, broutille (fr) f
• German: Kinkerlitzchen (de) n
• Italian: chincaglieria f
• Japanese: 些事 (さじ, saji), 小事 (ja) (しょうじ, shōji)
• Russian: пустя́к (ru) m (pustják), ме́лочи (ru) f pl (méloči)
• Spanish: perendengue (es), baratija (es), chácharas (es) pl

Verb

trinket (third-person singular simple present trinkets, present participle trinketing, simple past and past participle trinketed)

1. (obsolete) To give trinkets; to court favour.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of South to this entry?)

Anagrams

• Knitter, knitter

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German

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

trinket

1. (deprecated template usage) Second-person plural subjunctive I of trinken.