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Definition of "gimcrack" []

  • A cheap and showy object of little or no use; a gewgaw. (noun)
  • Cheap and tasteless; gaudy: "The shelves groan with an array of gimcrack gifts from fans: a stuffed piranha fish ... a ceramic ... bull, a papier-mâché replica of an Apollo moonwalker” ( Harry F. Waters). (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "gimcrack" in a sentence
  • "December 5th, 2007 at 4:33 am oh my…. he’s a very angry man isn’t he? hospitals like the gimcrack are the last places many people live before ending up in a funeral home. all our staff have very black senses of humour. it’s a prerequisite for the job."
  • "If you find any, let us know and we'll document them through the day, with some kind of gimcrack rating."
  • "Every time a shingle is added to the gimcrack, ramshackle governance structure that we're propping up, another door falls off its hinges."