I. ˈtin(t)-səl also ˈtin-zəl 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
II. adjective
Date: 1575
1. : made of or covered with tinsel
2.
a. : cheaply gaudy : tawdry
b. : specious , superficial
tinsel promises
III. transitive verb
( tin·seled or tin·selled ; tin·sel·ing or tin·sel·ling ˈtin(t)-s(ə-)liŋ also ˈtin-zə-liŋ)
Date: 1594
1. : to interweave, overlay, or adorn with or as if with tinsel
2. : to impart a specious brightness to