bric-a-brac
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bric-a-brac
- /ˈbɹɪkəbɹæk/ UK
- /ˈbɹɪkəˌbɹæk/ US
Where it comes from
Borrowed from French bric-à-brac (“miscellaneous items of little value”), apparently from à bricq et à bracq (“at random; haphazardly”); bricq and bracq are expressive onomatopoeias of obscure origin.
noun bric-a-brac · bricabrac · bric-à-brac · brick-a-brack
-
Small ornaments and other miscellaneous display items of little value.
The palace of Versailles has been turned into a bricabrac shop, of late years; and its time-honoured walls have been covered with many thousand yards of the worst pictures that eye ever looked on.
Similar: brickety-brack, knick-knacks, novelty item, bauble, novelty, bric-a-brac, fandangle, fangle, fizgig, folderol, gewgaw, kickshaw
-
Any collection containing a variety of miscellaneous items; a hodgepodge, an olio.
Yes: I think he is a good fellow: rather miscellaneous and bric-à-brac, but likable.
Similar: mishmash, oddments, curios, ornaments, baubles, bouillabaisse, bric-a-brac, catch-all, clamjamfrey, cocktail, rummage, salad · Opposite: valuables, treasures
Translations
Every language
noun small ornaments and other miscellaneous items of little value
| 日本語 | 瓦落多, 我楽多, 瓦落苦多, がらくた, ガラクタ garakuta |
|---|---|
| Português | bricabraque, porcariada, quinquilharia |
| Français | bric-à-brac |
| Deutsch | Schnickschnack, Krimskrams |
| Italiano | bric-a-brac, cianfrusaglie, ciarpame, paccottaglia |
| Ελληνικά | μπιχλιμπίδι bichlimpídi |
| Русский | брѝк-а-бра́к brìk-a-brák |
Talk about this word "bric-a-brac." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/bric-a-brac. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. bric-a-brac. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/bric-a-brac "bric-a-brac." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/bric-a-brac.Cite this
@misc{bric_a_brac_2026,
title = {bric-a-brac},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/bric-a-brac},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
