gewgaw Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
    fallal; bangle; novelty; trinket; gaud; bauble.

WordNet

Gew"gaw noun
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.
Definitions
  1. A showy trifle; a toy; a splendid plaything; a pretty but worthless bauble.
    A heavy gewgaw called a crown. Dryden.
Gew"gaw adjective
Definitions
  1. Showy; unreal; pretentious.
    Seeing his gewgaw castle shine. Tennyson.

Webster 1913