Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A small ornament, such as a piece of jewelry.
  • noun A trivial thing; a trifle.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A streamlet.
  • noun A topsail; perhaps, originally, a lateen sail carried on the foremast.
  • To deal in a small, selfish way; hold secret communication; have private intercourse; intrigue; traffic.
  • noun A knife, especially a shoemakers' knife.
  • noun A trifling ornament; a jewel for personal wear, especially one of no great value; any small fancy article; a cherished thing of slight worth.
  • noun A vessel to drink or eat out of. See the quotations.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb obsolete To give trinkets; hence, to court favor; to intrigue.
  • noun (Naut.) A three-cornered sail formerly carried on a ship's foremast, probably on a lateen yard.
  • noun A knife; a cutting tool.
  • noun A small ornament, as a jewel, ring, or the like.
  • noun A thing of little value; a trifle; a toy.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A small showy ornament or piece of jewelry
  • noun A mere trifle
  • verb obsolete To give trinkets; to court favour.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Origin unknown.]

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Examples

  • Buy the overpriced trinket from the police charity — or get the ticket.

    Discourse.net: UM Opens a New Online Store 2009

  • Once the cache is discovered, it is traditional for finders to choose a trinket from the box and to leave something behind.

    Garmin Chirp gives you an edge in geocaching 2010

  • Have you bought the mandatory silver and turquoise trinket from a street peddler yet?

    Matthew Yglesias » The View From Your Breakfast 2007

  • The evidence about the bank robbery was compelling, but that little trinket from the boyfriend hardened everyone’s heart.

    Girl, Interrupted 2008

  • The evidence about the bank robbery was compelling, but that little trinket from the boyfriend hardened everyone’s heart.

    Girl, Interrupted 2008

  • The evidence about the bank robbery was compelling, but that little trinket from the boyfriend hardened everyone’s heart.

    Girl, Interrupted 2008

  • The evidence about the bank robbery was compelling, but that little trinket from the boyfriend hardened everyone’s heart.

    Girl, Interrupted 2008

  • Oh no barbarian, this trinket was a gift from a soldier.

    Archive 2010-02-01 Cromsblood 2010

  • Oh no barbarian, this trinket was a gift from a soldier.

    More Conan Fan Fiction! Cromsblood 2010

  • At least there is scarce a soldier in the Sultan's army who would not give all he has for yonder trinket, which is known throughout the land as the Star of Hassan.

    The Brethren Henry Rider Haggard 1890

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