trinket

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trinket^¹

/ˈtɹɪŋkɪt/ US, UK
/ˈtɹɪŋkət/

Rhymes with -ɪŋkɪt

Where it comes from

The origin of the noun is unknown; the word is possibly related to Old French tryncle (“piece of jewellery”). The following have also been suggested:

* From Middle English trenket, trynket (“small knife, specifically, a cordwainer’s knife”).

* From trick (“plaything, toy; trifle”, noun) or trick (verb).

However, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, there is insufficient evidence of any shift of meaning from these words to the current meanings of trinket.

The verb is derived from the noun.

noun trinkets

A small, showy ornament, especially a piece of jewellery. That little trinket around her neck must have cost a bundle.
figuratively A thing of little practical and/or monetary value; a toy, a trifle. It’s only a little trinket, but it reminds her of him.
Similar: bagatelle, bag of shells, bric-a-brac, dicky, dicky-bird, fico, fig, inconsequential, flamfew, flyspeck, minuity, niff-naff
obsolete A small item of food; a small dainty. [L]et Tim send the ale and the sack, and the nipperkin of double-distilled, with a bit of diet-loaf, or some such trinket, and score it to the new comer.
in plural, obsolete A small item forming part of a set of equipment; an accessory, an accoutrement. Good huſbandes that laye, to ſaue all thing vpright: / for Tumbrels and cartes, haue a ſhed redy dight. / A ſtore houſe for trinkets, kept cloſe as a iayle: / that nothing be wanting, the worthe of a nayle.
derogatory, figuratively, obsolete An item used in a religious rite (also, a religious rite, belief, etc.) regarded as superfluous or trivial. [T]he ſame teachers with Chriſts doctrine mingled Jewiſhnes and ſuperſticious Philoſophie, obſeruing and keping certain poyntes of the lawe, ſuperſticiously alſo honouring the Sunne, the Moone, and ſtarres, with ſuch other trinkettes of this world, hearing the Coloſſiãs [Colossians] in hand that the

verb trinkets · trinketing · trinketed

rare, transitive Often followed by out: to adorn (someone or something) with trinkets (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1). Oh! those were good Dame Nature’s times! / How memories sweet o’er-swarm us, / Ere wasp-like forms were girt around / With ‘bustles’ so enormous; / When modest arms were never bared / And trinketed for show, / Nor ever left their hiding-place, / Save to be hid in dough!

trinket^²

/ˈtɹɪŋkɪt/ US, UK
/ˈtɹɪŋkət/

Rhymes with -ɪŋkɪt

Where it comes from

PIE word

*tréyes

From trink (“(UK, dialectal, especially Scotland) channel, watercourse; trench”) + -et (diminutive suffix); compare Scots trink. Trink is possibly derived from Occitan trencque, trenque (Picardy), from Old French trenche, tranche (“trench”) (modern French tranche), from trenchier (“to cut”); further etymology uncertain, possibly:

* from Latin truncāre, the present active infinitive of truncō (“to maim or mutilate by cutting off pieces; to truncate”), from truncus (“tree trunk; piece cut off”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *twerḱ- (“to carve; to cut off, trim”)) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs); or

* from Vulgar Latin *trinicāre (“to cut into three parts”), from Latin tri- (prefix meaning ‘three’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes (“three”)) + duplicāre (“to double by dividing, split in two, tear”);

possibly also influenced by Gaulish *trincare (“to cut off (the head)”).

noun trinkets

Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland A narrow or small watercourse. It must have been about the same moment that a smack drew through the fine mist in the Firth [of Forth], and, sailing up the trinket, landed Provost Trail on the east pier-head.

trinket^³

/ˈtɹɪŋkɪt/ US, UK
/ˈtɹɪŋkət/

Rhymes with -ɪŋkɪt

Where it comes from

Origin uncertain, possibly:

* from trinket (“small, showy ornament; thing of little value”) (see etymology 1); or

* borrowed from Welsh trànked.

noun trinkets

UK, dialectal, obsolete A small vessel for drinking from; a cup, a mug, a porringer. Mrs. Bargrave asked her, vvhether ſhe vvould not drink ſome Tea. Says Mrs. Veal, I do not care if I do: But I'le VVarrant this Mad Fellovv (meaning Mrs. Bargraves Husband,) has broke all your Trinckets.

trinket^⁴

/ˈtɹɪŋkɪt/ US, UK
/ˈtɹɪŋkət/

Rhymes with -ɪŋkɪt

Where it comes from

PIE word

*tréyes

Probably from French trinquet (“foremast; sail attached to a foremast”), from Italian trinchetto (“small sail, especially a foresail”), possibly from Latin triquetrus (“three-cornered, triangular”) (referring to a three-cornered sail), from tri- (prefix meaning ‘three’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes (“three”)) + Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₁d- (“sharp”).

Cognates

* Catalan trinquet, triquete

* French trinquet, trinquette

* Italian trinchetto

* Portuguese traquete

* Spanish trinquete, trinquetilla

noun trinkets

obsolete A small sail, specifically, a three-cornered sail formerly carried on a ship's foremast, probably on a lateen yard. [H]ee ſet up the trinkets or ſmall ſailes, meaning to make vvay into the deepe, commanding them that follovved ſtill, to make head, and direct their provvs againſt the right vving neere the land.

trinket^⁵

/ˈtɹɪŋkɪt/ US, UK
/ˈtɹɪŋkət/

Rhymes with -ɪŋkɪt

Where it comes from

Possibly borrowed from Scots trinket, trincket; further origin unknown, possibly related to:

* trinket (“item used in a religious rite (also, a religious rite, belief, etc.) regarded as superfluous or trivial”) (see etymology 1); or

* trick (noun) or trick (verb).

verb trinkets · trinketing · trinketed

Scotland, intransitive, obsolete To act in a secret, and often dishonest, way; to have secret, and often dishonest, dealings; to intrigue, to scheme. And if any one aſkes me, hovv? and if I be of their Cabinet Council? I ſhall onely ſmile, perceiving they doe not knovv me. I am far from that, or having ever to doe vvith Kings or States in that kind, or pragmatically trinketing vvith State affaires, it being a Rule vvhich I live by, never to aſke

Thesaurus

noun

Translations

Every language

noun small, showy ornament, especially a piece of jewellery

Español	oropel, perendengue
日本語	小物 komono, 安ピカ yasupika
中文	小飾物 /小饰物 xiǎoshìpǐn, 小玩意 xiǎowányì
Français	bibelot, breloque, colifichet
Deutsch	Schmuck, Schmuckgegenstand, Schmuckstück
Italiano	cineseria, ciondolo, fronzolo, gingillo, ninnolo
Ελληνικά	μπιχλιμπίδι bichlimpídi
Русский	безделу́шка bezdelúška, побряку́шка pobrjakúška

noun thing of little value — see also trifle

Español	baratija, chácharas, chunche, perendengue
日本語	些事 saji, 小事 shōji
中文	瑣事 /琐事 suǒshì, 小事 xiǎoshì
Português	bugiganga, quinquilharia
Français	babiole, bricole, broutille
Deutsch	Kinkerlitzchen
Italiano	chincaglieria
Русский	ме́лочи méloči, пустя́к pustják

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MLA

"trinket." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/trinket. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

trinket. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/trinket

Chicago

"trinket." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/trinket.

BibTeX

@misc{trinket_2026,
  title = {trinket},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/trinket},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}

trinket

AI In plain words

trinket¹

Where it comes from

noun trinkets

verb trinkets · trinketing · trinketed

trinket²

Where it comes from

noun trinkets

trinket³

Where it comes from

noun trinkets

trinket⁴

Where it comes from

noun trinkets

trinket⁵

Where it comes from

verb trinkets · trinketing · trinketed

Thesaurus

Translations

noun small, showy ornament, especially a piece of jewellery

noun thing of little value — see also trifle

trinket^¹

trinket^²

trinket^³

trinket^⁴

trinket^⁵