noun

tchotchke

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Tchotchke (noun) means a small, cheap ornament or trinket.

noun

A small, cheap ornament or trinket.

"Traveling from slick AI showrooms to warehouses full of holiday tchotchkes, Ann Scott Tyson found optimism, nimbleness, and resilience – even in the face of U.S. sanctions." — Ann Scott Tyson, In 2025, China proved its innovation prowess. But are some workers getting left behind? (2025)

"With limited cash and a thirst for uncommon sights, backpackers have pushed into challenging territory well before the big-money resorts or tchotchke merchants." — Jesse McKinley, The avant-garde: Follow that backpack (1999)

A good-looking girl or woman.

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

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Etymology

Borrowed from Yiddish טשאַטשקע (tshatshke, “ornament; trinket; toy; (figurative) attractive girl or woman”), from a Slavic language and probably ultimately imitative of a baby’s utterances. Slavic cognates * Polish cacko (“toy; knick-knack, trinket; pretty thing”), from caca (“nice thing”), and czaczko (“(obsolete) toy; trinket; pretty thing”) * Russian ца́цка (cácka, “(informal) knick-knack, trinket; (dated) toy”), from ца́ца (cáca, “toy; trinket; well-behaved child; nice person; conceited person”) * Ukrainian ца́цка (cácka, “(dated) toy; ornament, trinket; conceited person; well-dressed person”), from ца́ца (cáca, “toy; well-behaved child; conceited person; attractive woman”)

Synonyms

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tchotchkeleh chachka tshatshke tsatske

Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of tchotchke?

"tchotchke" (noun) means a small, cheap ornament or trinket.

What is another word for tchotchke?

Other words for "tchotchke" include tchotchkeleh, chachka, tshatshke, tsatske.

What are the different meanings of tchotchke?

"tchotchke" has 2 main meanings: 1. A small, cheap ornament or trinket; 2. A good-looking girl or woman.