tinsel

From Middle French estincelle (“spark”) (compare French étincelle), from Latin scintilla; compare scintillate, stencil.

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈtɪn.səl/
• Rhymes: -ɪnsəl

tinsel (usually uncountable, plural tinsels)

1. A shining material used for ornamental purposes; especially, a very thin, gauzelike cloth with much gold or silver woven into it; also, very thin metal overlaid with a thin coating of gold or silver, brass foil, or the like.
   • 1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe

     Who can discern the tinsel from the gold?

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess‎:

     He stood transfixed before the unaccustomed view of London at night time, a vast panorama which reminded him […] of some wood engravings far off and magical, in a printshop in his childhood. They dated from the previous century and were coarsely printed on tinted paper, with tinsel outlining the design.

2. Very thin strips of a glittering, metallic material used as a decoration, and traditionally draped at Christmas time over streamers, paper chains and the branches of Christmas trees.
3. Anything shining and gaudy; something superficially shining and showy, or having a false luster, and more pretty than valuable.
   • William Cowper:

     O happy peasant! O unhappy bard! His the mere tinsel, hers the rich reward.

tinsel (comparative more tinsel, superlative most tinsel)

1. Glittering, later especially superficially so; gaudy, showy.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.1:

     Her garments all were wrought of beaten gold, / And all her steed with tinsell trappings shone […]

tinsel (third-person singular simple present tinsels, present participle (UK) tinselling or (US) tinseling, simple past and past participle (UK) tinselled or (US) tinseled)

1. (transitive) To adorn with tinsel; to deck out with cheap but showy ornaments; to make gaudy.
   • Alexander Pope:

     She, tinseled o'er in robes of varying hues

2. (figuratively, transitive) To give a false sparkle to (something).

• tinseled, tinselled
• tinselly
• Tinseltown

• trimmings
• trim up

• tinsel in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

• ELINTs, SILENT, Teslin, enlist, inlets, leints, listen, silent