A knickknack is a small decorative object that sits on a shelf, mantel, or table. Think of those tiny figurines your grandmother might display in a glass cabinet, or the small ceramic animals, miniature bells, or souvenir spoons people collect and arrange around their homes. Knickknacks don't really do anything useful: they just look interesting or remind someone of a special place or memory.

The word has a slightly playful sound that matches what it describes. People who love knickknacks enjoy having these little treasures around, while others think they just collect dust and clutter up the house. You might have a few knickknacks on your dresser, like a small trophy, a snow globe from a vacation, or a carved wooden animal a relative gave you.

When someone says a room is “full of knickknacks,” they usually mean it has lots of these small decorative items scattered about. Some people use the word tchotchke (CHOTCH-kee) to mean exactly the same thing. Whether you call them knickknacks, tchotchkes, or trinkets, they're those little objects that don't serve a practical purpose but somehow make a space feel more personal and lived-in.