Word of the Day

: September 3, 2009

bibelot

noun BEE-buh-loh

What It Means

: a small household ornament or decorative object : trinket

bibelot in Context

Donna's children often tease her about her hobby of collecting quaint bibelots, which can be found everywhere throughout her house.

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." But "bibelot," which English speakers borrowed from French in the late 1800s, 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.