variants
or less commonly nicknack
plural knickknacks also nicknacks
: a small trivial article usually intended for ornament
a collection of colorful knickknacks
Known in the computer industry as tchotchkes, which is Yiddish for cheap trinkets, the knickknacks distributed in the past year have included "Love Me Tender" toilet-roll dispensers, wax eyeballs, chocolate computers and Nerf-ball launchers.—
Jim Carlton
Jim CarltonMelissa Etheridge's spacious two-story home outside Los Angeles is filled with knickknacks from her life: Aside from awards and photos, there is a small collection of vintage neon clocks … and a Thelma & Louise poster signed by the cast (including a then-unknown Brad Pitt).—Lynette Rice
Lynette RiceExamples of knickknack in a Sentence
The shelves were filled with knickknacks.
a variety of pretty porcelain knickknacks adorned the mantel
Recent Examples on the Web
Opposite the games, neon Pac-Man lights adorn the wall just above the bookcase, which holds dozens of books and other knickknacks reminiscent of the period.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 8 Aug. 2025
Where To Shop On Hotz Avenue, Tribe Kelley Surf Post, owned by the wife-husband duo Brittney and Brian Kelley (who makes up one-half of the country duo Florida-Georgia Line), offers clothing, jewelry, and trendy knickknacks.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2025
The office is windowless, a little dusty, and filled with knickknacks and junk stacked above head height: an old barber’s chair, paintings, posters, neighborhood detritus.
—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
In our woeful orthography, choir, and liar rhyme, daughter and laughter don’t, and knickknack has four—count them, four—entirely useless K’s.
—Gabe Henry, Time, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knickknack
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Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 8 Aug. 2025
Where To Shop On Hotz Avenue, Tribe Kelley Surf Post, owned by the wife-husband duo Brittney and Brian Kelley (who makes up one-half of the country duo Florida-Georgia Line), offers clothing, jewelry, and trendy knickknacks.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2025
The office is windowless, a little dusty, and filled with knickknacks and junk stacked above head height: an old barber’s chair, paintings, posters, neighborhood detritus.
—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
In our woeful orthography, choir, and liar rhyme, daughter and laughter don’t, and knickknack has four—count them, four—entirely useless K’s.
—Gabe Henry, Time, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knickknack
Cite this Entry
“Knickknack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knickknack. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
knickknack
noun
knick·knack
ˈnik-ˌnak 
: a small ornamental object
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