knick-knacks

IPA/ˈnɪk.næk/
KK[nˈɪknˈæks]IPA/ˈnɪk.næk/

knick-knacks — noun

1. small objects that are displayed in a room because they are pretty or interestin

1.nounB2
Definition

small objects that are displayed in a room because they are pretty or interesting to look at, though they have no practical use

Example

Hana's shelves were crowded with knick-knacks from her travels across Asia.

knick-knacks from [place] — showing where they came from

Dmitri dusted the porcelain knick-knacks on his grandmother's old sideboard.

collocation: porcelain knick-knacks; dust (verb) for cleaning them

Common collocations
  • collect knick-knacks
  • dust the knick-knacks
  • porcelain knick-knacks
  • display knick-knacks
  • a shelf of knick-knacks
Synonyms
  • trinket

    emphasises cheapness or low value; often refers to jewellery or small souvenirs

  • ornament

    broader term for any decorative object, regardless of size; more formal

  • bric-a-brac

    refers to a mixed collection of old or curious small objects, often sold as a set

Usage Note

Almost always used in the plural form. The singular 'knick-knack' is technically correct but sounds unnatural in everyday speech — even a single item is usually described as 'a knick-knack' only in writing or dictionary definitions.

Common Mistakes

She bought a knick-knacks at the market.
She bought some knick-knacks at the market.
the word is plural; never use 'a' directly before it.
I keep my knick-knack on the shelf.
I keep my knick-knacks on the shelf.
even when talking about one item, the plural form is the natural choice in conversation.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Knick-knacks are small decorative objects kept on display in a home, carrying a slightly warm or sometimes dismissive tone depending on the speaker. Trinkets are similar but emphasise cheapness — a trinket is the kind of thing you might win at a fairground or buy on impulse at a souvenir stand. Ornament is a broader, more formal word: anything that decorates, from a garden fountain to a Christmas bauble, counts as an ornament. Bric-a-brac refers to an assortment of old or curious small objects, often found jumbled together in antique shops, and suggests randomness rather than deliberate arrangement. Tchotchke, borrowed from Yiddish, is the closest match in meaning but sounds more colloquial and playful; it is rare in formal writing. If someone says 'my grandmother's knick-knacks,' it feels warm and personal; 'my grandmother's tchotchkes' sounds more casual and might imply clutter.

trinket ↗ornament ↗bric-a-brac ↗tchotchke

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a shelf full of knick-knacks
  • collecting knick-knacks

Prepositions

Etymology

English

A reduplicative word formed from the now-obsolete 'knack,' which meant a trinket or toy in the 16th century. The original word probably imitated the light clicking sound of small objects knocking together. The doubled form 'knick-knack' appeared in the 17th century and has been almost exclusively used in the plural ever since.

First known use

1682

1682, in the meaning defined above