bauble

noun

bau·​ble ˈbȯ-bəl 

ˈbä-

1

: trinket sense 1

He affixed the bauble, with a kiss, upon her middle finger …

—Elinor Wylie

2

: a scepter of a fool (see fool entry 1 sense 2a)

… the licensed jester … brandished his bauble …

—Sir Walter Scott

3

: something of trifling appeal

4

British : ornament

specifically : a Christmas ornament

Our tree was decorated, most tastefully, with apt baubles bought from Georg Jensen.

—Geoffrey Wolff

Synonyms

• bibelot
• curio
• curiosity
• doodad
• gaud
• gewgaw
• geegaw
• gimcrack
• kickshaw
• knickknack
• nicknack
• novelty
• ornamental
• tchotchke
• trinket

Examples of bauble in a Sentence

picked up some cheap baubles at the fair

Recent Examples on the Web

Located in Place Kléber, the 30-meter-high tree is decorated with seven kilometers of fairy lights and 400 baubles. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

Shelves are lined with clocks, baubles, bottles and other charming knickknacks that give off an old-world feel. —Madalyn Mendoza, Axios, 13 Dec. 2024

The Brit is giggling in the private bar of a Soho hotel in central London festively decorated with bright red baubles and mistletoe ahead of the holidays. —Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2024

There were no baubles or bows on the towering trees now dotted around Beckham’s Dover Street store, which were naked save for the subtlest sprinkling of lights. —Kerry McDermott, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English babel, from Middle French

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bauble

noun

bau·​ble ˈbȯ-bəl 

ˈbäb-əl

: an object of little value