n.
Pronunciation: ' tin(t)-s ə l also ' tin-z ə l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English tyneseyle cloth interwoven with metallic thread, probably from Anglo-French tencelé, past participle of tenceler, estenceler to sparkle ― more at STENCIL
Date: 1538
1 : threads, strips, or sheets of metal, paper, or plastic used to produce a glittering and sparkling appearance in fabrics, yarns, or decorations
2 : something superficially attractive or glamorous but of little real worth <disfigured by no gaudy tinsel of rhetoric or declamation ― Thomas Jefferson>