bauble

American  

[baw-buhl] / ˈbɔ bəl /

noun

1. a showy, usually cheap, ornament; trinket; gewgaw.

2. a jester's scepter.

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bauble British  

/ ˈbɔːbəl /

noun

1. a showy toy or trinket of little value; trifle

2. Usual US name: Christmas ornament.  a small, usually spherical ornament made of coloured or decorated material which is hung from the branches of a Christmas tree

3. (formerly) a mock staff of office carried by a court jester

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Etymology

Origin of bauble

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English babel, babulle, from Old French babel, baubel, derivatives of an expressive base with varying vocalisms; compare Old French baubelet “little trinket”; see bibelot

Explanation

Baubles are trinkets or novelty items that cost little and aren’t very important or valuable, such as a plastic ring in the shape of a daisy that covers half of your finger in hot-pink plastic. Baubles: the Mardi Gras beads you collected last year, the small statue of the Eiffel tower your grandparents brought back from Paris, those big glass bulbs you use to decorate a Christmas tree, a computer mouse made to look like a hamburger.

Example Sentences

So fear not, you might get an AI bauble or two but your phone won’t vanish.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Each year Ellie Goan hangs two special decorations on her Christmas tree, a star and bauble - reminders of the two pregnancies she lost.

From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025

Even so, this direct-to-streaming bauble benefits from two leads whose charm effortlessly outshines the material.

From New York Times • Nov. 28, 2024

"I gots yo back @jordanchiles," Flavor Falv wrote in an Instagram post showing the bauble.

From Salon • Aug. 13, 2024

"That bauble around your neck—was it bought with gold or iron?"

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

• knickknack
• trinket