What does gewgaw mean?
Gewgaw is an uncommon English noun for a small, often brightly colored ornament, trinket, or bauble, particularly an item worn or displayed for decoration. The word is chiefly associated with North American English and may sound literary, old-fashioned, or faintly dismissive in British English. In older usage it could also denote an odd or puzzling object or circumstance, a sense now largely dated. Gewgaws are usually attractive little objects without practical importance—painted ornaments, novelties, or pieces of costume jewelry—so the term often carries a playful or dismissive edge. Its unusual spelling and clipped pronunciation make it memorable, while its uncertain origin prevents a tidy connection to a better-known word. It is therefore especially useful in writing that wants to evoke character, wit, or a slightly old-fashioned atmosphere, as well as in precise descriptions of small decorative objects.
nounA small, often brightly colored ornament or trinket, especially one worn or displayed for decorative purposes. In older usage, it could mean something odd, strange, or puzzling.
- A small, often brightly colored ornament or trinket, especially one worn or displayed for decorative purposes.
- An odd, strange, or puzzling thing; a curiosity. This sense is now dated or literary.
"She arranged a collection of painted shells and miniature animals on the windowsill as colorful gewgaws."
"The costume designer added several gewgaws to the ensemble, including a miniature silver fan and a necklace of painted birds."
"The unexplained alteration in the document remained a genuine gewgaw for the investigators."
The standard plural is gewgaws; the plural is especially natural when referring to a collection of small ornaments or trinkets.
"The market stall was crowded with gewgaws of every description."
GEWGAW: a gaudy little bauble—and a word that refuses to reveal where it came from.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of gewgaw
Gewgaw is recorded in English from the early 16th century, when it could refer to a strange or puzzling object. Although it later became especially common for a small ornament or trinket, no demonstrable language of origin or cognate family is generally accepted, and proposed historical derivations remain uncertain.
How gewgaw is actually used
The word is uncommon, somewhat literary, and may sound old-fashioned, especially in British English. When referring to a decorative object, it often carries a playful or faintly dismissive connotation because such objects are typically trivial and without practical importance.
Easily confused with gewgaw
Gegaw is a variant spelling of gewgaw rather than a separate word with a different meaning.