English

Noun

gimmick ‎(plural gimmicks)

1. A trick or device used to attain some end.

   The box had a gimmick to make the coin appear to vanish.

   • April 19 2002, Scott Tobias, AV Club Fightville

     Epperlein and Tucker focus on two featherweight hopefuls: Dustin Poirier, a formidable contender who’s looking to parlay a history of schoolyard violence and street-fighting into a potential career, and Albert Stainback, a more thoughtful yet more erratic and undisciplined fighter whose chief gimmick is entering the ring wearing a hat like the one Malcolm McDowell wore in A Clockwork Orange.

2. A clever ploy or strategy.

   The contest was a gimmick to get people to sign up for their mailing list.

3. (electronics) A gimmick capacitor.

Derived terms

• gimmicky
• gimmickry

Translations

Verb

gimmick ‎(third-person singular simple present gimmicks, present participle gimmicking, simple past and past participle gimmicked)

1. To rig or set up with a trick or device.

   The magician's box was gimmicked with a wire that made it appear to open on its own.

Translations

French

Noun

gimmick m ‎(plural gimmicks)

1. gimmick