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

Slouchy fits with grungy washes were embellished with baubles, distressing and color contrasting patchwork. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 7 Mar. 2025

Slouchy fits with grungy washes were embellished with baubles, distressing and color contrasting patchwork. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 7 Mar. 2025

These weren’t just decorative baubles. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 Feb. 2025

Inside the vast, white manufacturing hall, bags and bags of blood dangle overhead, suspended from a steel rail like macabre baubles. —Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English babel, from Middle French

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bauble

• cantabile
• cobble
• gobble
• hobble
• labile
• squabble
• wobble

Kids Definition

bauble

noun

bau·​ble ˈbȯ-bəl 

ˈbäb-əl

: an object of little value