gimcrack
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A bijou, a slim piece of mechanism. Old slang for "a spruce wench."—New Bailey. Any things which are gaudy and easily breakable, are known now as GIMCRACKS.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “gimcrack” mean?
A bijou, a slim piece of mechanism. Old slang for "a spruce wench."—New Bailey. Any things which are gaudy and easily breakable, are known now as GIMCRACKS.
Is “gimcrack” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.