trinket
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈtɹɪŋkɪt/
note: weak vowel merger
ipa: /ˈtɹɪŋkət/
rhymes: -ɪŋkɪt
Forms: form: trinkets
Etymology: The origin of the noun is unknown; the word is possibly related to Old French tryncle (“piece of jewellery”). The following have also been suggested:
* From Middle English trenket, trynket (“small knife, specifically, a cordwainer’s knife”).
* From trick (“plaything, toy; trifle”, noun) or trick (verb).
However, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, there is insufficient evidence of any shift of meaning from these words to the current meanings of trinket.
The verb is derived from the noun.
Senses: examples: text: That little trinket around her neck must have cost a bundle.
text: [H]e's an old man, / A good old man, they ſay too: I dare ſvveare / Full many a yeare ago, he left theſe gambols: / Here, take your trinkets.
ref: 1619, John Fletcher, “The Humorous Lieutenant”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, page 136, column 2:
text: Hence is the Fair vvith Ornaments ſupply'd, / Hence ſprung the glitt'ring Implements of Pride; / Each Trinket that adorns the modern Dame, / Firſt to theſe little Artiſts ovv'd its Frame.
ref: 1713 (indicated as 1714), [John] Gay, “Book I”, in The Fan. A Poem. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 8:
text: Glumdalclitch vvrapped it [the broken finger from a statue] up in a Handkerchief; and carried it home in her Pocket to keep among other Trinkets, of vvhich the Girl vvas very fond, as Children at her Age uſually are.
ref: 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Country Described. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag), page [224]:
text: This [the hawksbill turtle] is the animal that ſupplies the tortoiſe-ſhell, of vvhich ſuch a variety of beautiful trinkets are made.
ref: 1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of the Tortoise, and Its Kinds”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. […], new edition, volume VI, London: […] F[rancis] Wingrave, successor to Mr. [John] Nourse, […], →OCLC, page 361:
text: James [II] ordered an estimate to be made of the cost of such a procession, and found that it would amount to about half as much as he proposed to expend in covering his wife [Mary of Modena] with trinkets. He accordingly determined to be profuse where he ought to have been frugal, and niggardly where he might pardonably have been profuse. More than one hundred thousand pounds were laid out in dressing the queen, and the procession from the Tower was omitted.
ref: 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter IV, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume I, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 473:
glosses: A small, showy ornament, especially a piece of jewellery.
examples: text: It’s only a little trinket, but it reminds her of him.
text: 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.
ref: 1927, M[ohandas] K[aramchand] Gandhi, “The Great Exhibition”, in Mahadev Desai, transl., The Story of My Experiments with Truth: Translated from the Original in Gujarati, volume I, Ahmedabad, Gujarat: Navajivan Press, →OCLC, part I, pages 189–190:
synonyms: word: bagatelle
word: bag of shells
word: bric-a-brac
word: dicky
word: dicky-bird
word: fico
word: fig
word: flyspeck
word: minuity
word: niff-naff
word: picayune
word: scuddick
word: sop
word: toy
word: trick
word: trifle
word: triviality
word: whiffle
word: white chip
glosses: A thing of little value; a toy, a trifle.
examples: text: [L]et Tim send the ale and the sack, and the nipperkin of double-distilled, with a bit of diet-loaf, or some such trinket, and score it to the new comer.
ref: 1822 May 29, [Walter Scott], chapter XII, in The Fortunes of Nigel. […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 297:
glosses: A small item of food; a small dainty.
examples: text: Good huſbandes that laye, to ſaue all thing vpright: / for Tumbrels and cartes, haue a ſhed redy dight. / A ſtore houſe for trinkets, kept cloſe as a iayle: / that nothing be wanting, the worthe of a nayle.
ref: 1557 February 13 (Gregorian calendar), Thomas Tusser, “June”, in A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie, London: […] Richard Tottel, →OCLC, stanza 88, signatures C.iii., verso – C.iiii., recto:
text: [T]he poorer ſort of common ſouldiers haue euery man his leather bag or ſachell well ſowen together, wherin he packs vp all his trinkets, and ſtrongly truſſing it vp hangs it at his horſes tayle, and ſo paſſeth ouer, in manner aforeſaid.
ref: 1599, Vincentius Beluacensis [i.e., Vincent of Beauvais], “[The Voyage of Johannes de Plano Carpini vnto the Northeast Parts of the World, in the Yeere of Our Lord, 1246. Of the First Sending of Certaine Friers Prędicants and Minorites vnto the Tartars, Taken Out of the 32. Booke of Vincentius Beluacensis His Speculum Historiale: Beginning at the Second Chapter.] Chap[ter] 17. How the Tartars Behaue Themselues in Warre.”, in Richard Hakluyt, transl., The Principal Nauigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoueries of the English Nation, […], 2nd edition, London: […] George Bishop, Ralph Newberie, and Robert Barker, →OCLC, page 62:
text: Dunſtan vvas in his Vocation making ſome iron Trinkets, vvhen a Proteus-Devil appeared unto him, changing into Shapes, but fixing himſelf at laſt into the form of a Fair VVoman. […] Dunſtan perceiving it, pluckt his Tongs glovving hot out of the Fire, and vvith them kept him (or her ſhall I ſay?) there along time by the Noſe roaring and bellovving; till at laſt he brake looſe, by vvhat accident it is not told unto us.
ref: 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, book II, page 128:
text: Soon you vvill hear the Saucy Stevvard ſay, / Pack up vvith all your Trinkets, and avvay: […]
ref: 1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Sixth Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC, page 97, lines 212–213:
glosses: A small item forming part of a set of equipment; an accessory, an accoutrement.
examples: text: [T]he ſame teachers with Chriſts doctrine mingled Jewiſhnes and ſuperſticious Philoſophie, obſeruing and keping certain poyntes of the lawe, ſuperſticiously alſo honouring the Sunne, the Moone, and ſtarres, with ſuch other trinkettes of this world, hearing the Coloſſiãs [Colossians] in hand that thei were alſo bound to do the ſame.
ref: 1549 August 26 (Gregorian calendar), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Epistle of the Apostle Saincte Paule to the Colossians. The Argument of the Epistle of Sainct Paule to the Colossians […].”, in Iohn Olde [i.e., John Old], transl., The Seconde Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testament: […], London: […] Edwarde Whitchurche, →OCLC, folio i, recto:
text: The Duke of Somerſet vvas religious himſelf, a lover of all ſuch as vvere ſo, and a great Promoter of Reformation. Valiant, fortunate, vvitneſſe his victory in Muſleborrough field, vvhen the Scots filled many carts vvith emptineſſe, and loaded them vvith vvhat vvas lighter than vanity it ſelf, Popiſh Images, and other Trinkets, vvherein they placed the confidence of their Conqueſt.
ref: 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, book VII, page 410:
topics: lifestyle
religion
glosses: An item used in a religious rite (also, a religious rite, belief, etc.) regarded as superfluous or trivial.
Synonyms: word: bauble
word: bric-a-brac
word: fandangle
word: fangle
word: fizgig
word: folderol
word: gewgaw
word: kickshaw
word: knick-knack
word: mathom
word: tat
word: tchotchke
word: trangam
word: trinket
word: whim-wham
Hypernyms: word: ornament
word: trifle
word: unimportance
Derived terms: word: trinkery
word: trinketer
word: trinketry
word: trinkety
word: trinkilo
word: trinklement
word: trinklet
word: trinkum
Related terms: word: curio
word: schwag
word: swag