gimmick

Unknown. Possibly a rough anagram of magic or from gimme.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɪm.ɪk/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪmɪk

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 2012, Scott Tobias, “Fightville”, in AV Club‎:

     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.

   • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel:

     Rear Admiral Mikhailovich: I don't begrudge the politicians' decision to throw you to the Council. It's an... opportunity. I do begrudge this overdesigned piece of tin, though.
     Shepard: The Normandy is a fine ship, sir. She's served us well so far.
     Rear Admiral Mikhailovich: It's a gimmick, Commander. Useless in a stand-up fight.
     Rear Admiral Mikhailovich: This experiment diverted billions from our apportions bills. For the same price, we could've had a heavy cruiser.
     Rear Admiral Mikhailovich: But no, we had to make nice to the turians. Throw money at a co-developed boondoggle.

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.
4. (Philippines) A night out with one's friends.

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.

From English gimmick.

gimmick

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) gimmick

gimmick

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) gimmicky

   gimmick嘢 [Cantonese]  ―  gim¹ mik⁴ je⁵ [Jyutping]  ―  things with gimmicks

• English Loanwords in Hong Kong Cantonese

Borrowed from English gimmick.

• IPA^(key): /ɡi.mik/

  • Canada (Québec, Mauricie, Shawinigan)(As used in vernacular French)

    (file)

gimmick m (plural gimmicks)

1. gimmick