bric-a-brac

noun

ˈbri-kə-ˌbrak 

plural bric-a-brac

1

: a miscellaneous collection of small articles commonly of ornamental or sentimental value : curios

2

: something suggesting bric-a-brac especially in extraneous decorative quality

Examples of bric-a-brac in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Clean Up Your Mess To be fair, some booths at antiques stores are a hot mess, with junk piled high like bric-a-brac Jenga. — Josh Miller, Southern Living, 6 Apr. 2026

Girlfriend scales the diaristic, bric-a-brac charm of Janky Star into a high-drama pop monument to trying, flopping, and trying even harder next time. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026

Small, independent merchants don’t offer the bric-a-brac of Christmas baubles of embroidered kilts found in nearby (and more touristy) Pitlochry, but instead opt for used books at The Birnam Reader, artisanal cheeses and baked goods at Aran Bakery, and small-batch gin at LÒN. — Timothy Latterner, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Feb. 2026

Chipotle arrived like a lightning bolt in 1993, bringing its approximation of Mexican food and an industrial, minimalist aesthetic to a fast-food scene cluttered with bric-a-brac and cartoony maximalism. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 12 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French bric-à-brac

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bric-a-brac

• abc
• absentee
• addressee
• adoptee
• allottee
• amphorae
• amputee
• apc
• apogee
• appointee
• assessee
• assignee

Kids Definition

bric-a-brac

noun

ˈbrik-ə-ˌbrak

: small ornamental articles