Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
gewgaw - 5 dictionary results

gew⋅gaw

[gyoo-gaw, goo-]
–noun
something gaudy and useless; trinket; bauble.
Also, geegaw.


Origin:
1175–1225; ME giuegaue; gradational compound of uncert. orig.; perh. akin to MF, F gogo (see À gogo )


gewgawed, adjective
gew·gaw   (gyōō'gô', gōō'-)   
n.  A decorative trinket; a bauble.

[Middle English giuegaue.]

Gewgaw

Gew"gaw\, n. [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.] A showy trifle; a toy; a splendid plaything; a pretty but worthless bauble.

A heavy gewgaw called a crown. --Dryden.

Gewgaw

Gew"gaw\, a. Showy; unreal; pretentious.

Seeing his gewgaw castle shine. --Tennyson.

gewgaw 
c.1225, possibly a reduplication connected with O.Fr. gogue "joke, game," or jou-jou "toy," baby-talk word, from jouer "to play," from L. jocare.
Search another word or see gewgaw on Thesaurus | Reference