gimmick
/ˈɡɪm.ɪk/ noun, verb
Forms gimmicks gimmicking gimmicked
- noun A trick or device used to attain some end. “The box had a gimmick to make the coin appear to vanish.”
- noun A ploy or strategy used to attract attention or gain traction. “The contest was a gimmick to get people to sign up for their mailing list.”
- noun (electronics) A gimmick capacitor.
- noun (Philippines) A night out with one's friends.
- verb (transitive) 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.”
Synonyms
catch doodad doohickey doojigger gizmo gismo gubbins thingamabob thingumabob thingmabob thingamajig thingumajig thingmajig thingummy whatchamacallit whatchamacallum whatsis widget device twist
Etymology
Unknown. Possibly a rough anagram of magic or from gimme.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “gimmick”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details