bibelot

noun

bi·​be·​lot ˈbē-bə-ˌlō 

plural bibelots ˈbē-bə-ˌlō(z) 

: a small household ornament or decorative object : trinket

Did you know?

Can you think of a six-letter synonym of bibelot that starts with the letter "g"? No? How about an eight-letter one? Crossword puzzle whizzes might guess that the words we are thinking of are gewgaw and gimcrack. Like these, bibelot, which English speakers borrowed from French, has uses beyond wordplay. In addition to its general use as a synonym of trinket, it can refer specifically to a miniature book of elegant design (such as those made by Tiffany and Faberge). It also appears regularly in the names of things as diverse as restaurants and show dogs.

Synonyms

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

Examples of bibelot in a Sentence

practically every horizontal surface in the Victorian parlor was blanketed with fussy little bibelots

Recent Examples on the Web

The painting then remained in the artist’s possession and out of public sight until it was bought, in 1927, as a chic bibelot for a swanky members-only social club in London. —Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 9 May 2022

Bruno Magli’s luxe nappa leather bibelot upgrades the standard-issue, white plastic AirPods case. —Kareem Rashed, Robb Report, 16 Nov. 2021

Well, nobody ever brought in any bibelot on Dominique. —William Middleton, Town & Country, 7 Mar. 2018

Inside there is a small desk with a computer; a bookshelf is adorned with bibelots and certificates of appreciation with her name in fancy script. —New York Times, 29 May 2018

Oh, if only Trump had a crystal ball among those Bedminster bibelots! —Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2017

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

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