Meaning of gimmick in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Noun
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈɡɪmɪk/

    US accent Play button

    UK accent Play button

  1. Noun

    gimmick

    Etymology

    1920s (originally US): of unknown origin but possibly an approximate anagram of magic, the original sense being ‘a piece of magicians' apparatus’

    Definitions

    1. something whose name is either forgotten or not known
  2. 2. any clever (deceptive) maneuver

    Examples

    • « he would stoop to any device to win a point »

Famous quotes

  • « There's a lot of gimmick infringement out there, but that's cool. It's a compliment. But it all started right when I first came into the Garden. I came down to 'Eye of the Tiger' and when I hit the ring with the Sheik, I just put my hand up to my ear by accident, and the crowd got louder. I was like 'Oh, that works.' »
    Hulk Hogan
  • « God gave me a voice to sing with, and when you have that, what other gimmick is there? »
    Whitney Houston
  • « My incarceration was actually a positive thing from the beginning. I needed a gimmick to get my act going again, it gave me material. »
    Tommy Chong
  • « There are so many stories to tell in the worlds of science fiction, the worlds of fantasy and horror that to confine yourself to even doing historical revisionist fiction, whatever you want to call it - mash-ups, gimmick lit, absurdist fiction - I don't know if I want to do that anymore. »
    Seth Grahame-Smith

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