gewgaw
UK /ˈɡjuːɡɔː/ · US /ˈɡ(j)uɡɔ/ noun, adjective
Forms gewgaws geegaw gew-gaw gee-gaw
- noun A showy trifle, a toy; a showy trinket, ornament or decoration.
- adjective Showy; unreal; pretentious.
Synonyms
Etymology
From earlier gugaw, gygaw, from Middle English givegove (“gewgaw, trifle”), a reduplication of Middle English give, geove (“gift”), from Old English giefu, geofu, geafu (“gift”), from Proto-Germanic *gebō (“gift”). Compare Icelandic gyligjöf (“showy gifts, gewgaw”). More at give.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A showy trifle; a toy; a splendid plaything; a pretty but worthless bauble.
- adjective Showy; unreal; pretentious.
Etymology [OE. gigawe, gugawe, gewgaude, prob. the same word as OE. givegove gewgaw, apparently a reduplicated form fr. AS. gifan to give; cf. also F. joujou plaything, and E. gaud, n. See Give, and cf. Giffgaff.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “gewgaw”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details