bauble

noun

bau·​ble ˈbȯ-bəl How to pronounce bauble (audio)
ˈbä-
1
: trinket sense 1
He affixed the bauble, with a kiss, upon her middle finger …Elinor Wylie
2
: a scepter of a fool (see fool entry 1 sense 2a)
… the licensed jester … brandished his baubleSir Walter Scott
3
: something of trifling appeal
4
British : ornament
specifically : a Christmas ornament
Our tree was decorated, most tastefully, with apt baubles bought from Georg Jensen. Geoffrey Wolff

Examples of bauble in a Sentence

picked up some cheap baubles at the fair
Recent Examples on the Web Still feel strange to have put away the cheery, colorful and perhaps even glitzy baubles and pillows, and tchotchkes? Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2024 Focus on restricting any unnecessary movement that could lead to breakage, and don’t squeeze your items into an overloaded container—or risk crushing your baubles. Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Jan. 2024 The tree perfectly complements the whimsical candy-colored lobby, with flamingo-pink baubles, seashells, and tropical flowers. Amy Louise Bailey, Robb Report, 21 Dec. 2023 Kate’s Upstate The go-to boutique for fashion finds in the village, Kate’s Upstate is the place to pick cozy sweaters, dresses, sparkly baubles and attire for the whole family. Linnea Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2024 The pair smiled brightly next to their Christmas tree which was decorated with white ornaments and baubles. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 27 Dec. 2023 The historic corridor running up Manhattan’s skirt is decked with balsam fir branches, weighted with tinsel, golden baubles, and pine cones. Abe Beame, Essence, 20 Dec. 2023 But across the industry, most large European luxury stocks ended 2023 in the red as demand for expensive baubles sputtered following a record three-year shopping binge. Carol Ryan, WSJ, 30 Dec. 2023 So instead of holiday baubles, Ahwal and her family used flowers and feathers and ornaments to transform their tree into a Palestinian flag. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bauble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English babel, from Middle French

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bauble was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near bauble

Cite this Entry

“Bauble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bauble. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bauble

noun
bau·​ble ˈbȯ-bəl How to pronounce bauble (audio)
ˈbäb-əl
: an object of little value

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