tchotchke

noun tchotch·ke \ ˈchäch-kə , -kē , ˈtsäts- \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Examples: tchotchke in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of tchotchke

: knickknack, trinket

tchotchke was our Word of the Day on 02/28/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of tchotchke in a Sentence

a bedroom with polka-dot curtains, flowery wallpaper, and shelves cluttered with tchotchkes from a lifetime of vacations

Recent Examples of tchotchke from the Web

Bell's doesn't just bring beer; representatives bring collectible tchotchkes, like last year's gold lamé caps.

— kathy flanigan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Start making pretzel necklaces now: Beer festival season is in full pour," 9 July 2018
In the wrong context, too much tchotchke—but in the right hands, the sign of a certain haute-boho dash.

— sadie stein, ELLE Decor, "In Defense of Maximalism," 23 May 2018
But almost everything that businesses make—from phone cases to propellers to drills—lies between these bookends of tchotchkes and jet-engines, and is often made of metal or composites of metals and other materials.

— jason pontin, WIRED, "3D Printing Is the Future of Factories (for Real This Time)," 11 July 2018
Arizona Republic PUERTO PEÑASCO, Mexico — Tacky T-shirts, NFL blankets, tequila and tchotchkes galore are peddled to tourists on the seaside Malecon.

— dawn gilbertson, azcentral, "Beyond the beach in Rocky Point, Mexico: 6 things to do in Puerto Penasco," 25 June 2018
Per royal tchotchke tradition, Madame Tussauds debuted the couple’s official statues a few days ahead of their wedding last month.

— melissa locker, Time, "People Reacted Accordingly to This Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Stunt," 12 June 2018
This tchotchke-stuffed seating area is often overseen by a big black dog named Phoebe, who can usually be found lying on the floor.

— emma silvers, San Francisco Chronicle, "The story of the Albany pub where time stands still," 16 May 2018
Hipsters and matrons alike come here in search of vintage items and tchotchkes.

— michelle newman, San Antonio Express-News, "New Braunfels: Your guide to shopping, dining and hotels," 11 June 2018
Dean began planning a royal wedding event back in November, and made a trip to London earlier this year to stock up on Harry and Meghan tchotchkes.

— beth spotswood, San Francisco Chronicle, "SF’s Crown and Crumpet’s high tea just the thing for royal wedding," 22 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tchotchke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Just as trinkets can dress up your shelves or coffee table, many words for "miscellaneous objects" or "nondescript junk" decorate our language. Knickknack, doodad, gewgaw, and whatnot are some of the more common ones. While many such words are of unknown origin, we know that tchotchke comes from the Yiddish tshatshke of the same meaning, and ultimately from a now-obsolete Polish word, czaczko. Tchotchke is a pretty popular word these days, but it wasn't commonly used in English until the 1970s.