something showy but useless and of little value; trinket
Origin of gewgaw
Middle English giuegoue, gugaw, reduplicated, reduplication from uncertain or unknown; perhaps showy but useless
gewgaw
gew·gawWebster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"gewgaw." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/gewgaw>.
APA Style
gewgaw. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/gewgaw
gewgaw
also gee·gaw
noun
A decorative trinket; a bauble.
Origin of gewgaw
Middle English giuegaueTHE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"gewgaw." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/gewgaw>.
APA Style
gewgaw. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/gewgaw
Origin
From earlier gugaw, gygaw, from Middle English givegove (“gewgaw, trifle”), a reduplication of Middle English give, geove (“gift”), from Old English giefu, geofu, geafu (“gift”), from Proto-Germanic *gebō (“gift”). Compare Icelandic gyligjöf (“showy gifts, gewgaw”). More at give.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"gewgaw." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/gewgaw>.
APA Style
gewgaw. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/gewgaw
