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gimmick

noun

  1. novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal
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Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈɡɪm.ɪk/

noun

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

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

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

    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 ploy or strategy used to attract attention or gain traction.

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

  3. A gimmick capacitor.
  4. A night out with one's friends.

verb

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

  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.