trinkum-trankum

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Meaning · English

A trinket.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

But Toralva, having a long noſe, ſoon ſmelt his deſign, and then what does ſhe do, think ye, but comes after him bare-foot and bare-legg’d, with a pilgrim’s ſtaff in her hand, and a wallet at her back, wherein they ſay ſhe carry’d a piece of looking-glaſs, half a comb, a broken pot with paint, and I

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “trinkum-trankum” mean?

A trinket.

Is “trinkum-trankum” formal or informal?

trinkum-trankum is generally slang.