FreeScrabbleDictionary

gewgaw

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
14
Words With Friends
16
Letters
6
Pronunciation
/ˈɡjuːɡɔː/ (UK)
See all 3 pronunciations
/ˈɡjuːɡɔː/ (UK) · /ˈɡ(j)uɡɔ/ · /ˈɡ(j)uɡɑ/

Definition of gewgaw

2 senses · 2 parts of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. A showy trifle, a toy; a showy trinket, ornament or decoration.
    “A heavy gewgaw called a crown.”
    “It was a Saxon ornament. […] Some Puritan, before his departure, may have thought himself doing God service by filching the old golden gewgaw.”
    ““I am not of the neighbourhood,” said Mallow, calmly, “but the matter is irrelevant. I have had the honour to send you a little gift yesterday ——” [¶] The tech-man’s nose lifted. “I received it. An interesting gewgaw. I may have use for it on occasion.” [¶] I have other and more interesting gifts. Quite out of the gewgaw stage.””
    “You or I may well view our desire to push buttons and order new electronic gewgaws as the mere reflex spasms of consumerism, but to this dynamic duo the future of the earth depends on our instant gratification more than anything else.”
See all 2 definitions

noun

  1. A showy trifle, a toy; a showy trinket, ornament or decoration.
    “A heavy gewgaw called a crown.”
    “It was a Saxon ornament. […] Some Puritan, before his departure, may have thought himself doing God service by filching the old golden gewgaw.”
    ““I am not of the neighbourhood,” said Mallow, calmly, “but the matter is irrelevant. I have had the honour to send you a little gift yesterday ——” [¶] The tech-man’s nose lifted. “I received it. An interesting gewgaw. I may have use for it on occasion.” [¶] I have other and more interesting gifts. Quite out of the gewgaw stage.””
    “You or I may well view our desire to push buttons and order new electronic gewgaws as the mere reflex spasms of consumerism, but to this dynamic duo the future of the earth depends on our instant gratification more than anything else.”

adj

  1. (not-comparable)Showy; unreal; pretentious.
    “The rattle of a globe to play withal, This gewgaw world, and put him cheaply off;”
    “Seeing his gewgaw castle shine, New as his title, built last year.”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

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.

Words you can make from gewgaw

15 playable · top: WAW (9 pts)

Best play waw 9 points

4-letter words

2 words

3-letter words

7 words

2-letter words

5 words

Hooks

1 extension · 1 back

A single letter you can add to gewgaw to make another valid word.

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