I. ˈgimik, -mēk noun
( -s )
Etymology: origin unknown
1.
a.
(1) : a mechanical device by which a gambling apparatus (as a roulette wheel) can be secretly and dishonestly controlled
(2) : a mechanical device used to cheat or deceive
b. : an ingenious or novel mechanical device : gadget
a new gimmick … claimed to unscrew the stickiest container — Wall Street Journal
no experimental gimmicks were installed — New York Herald Tribune
we have … radios, washing machines, bathtubs, and gimmicks of all sorts — H.F.Peters
c. : a decisive or strategic element or feature that is purposely hidden, unobtrusive, or not immediately apparent : catch , joker
in some states gimmicks in the law make it almost impossible to successfully prosecute — Best True Fact Detective
what's the gimmick … what's in it for you — Maxwell Griffith
you look for the gimmick in innocent queries like that — Ring
2. : a new and ingenious device, scheme, or idea for solving a problem or achieving an end : a new angle of approach : a novel or unconventional twist
the gimmick was simple … we would take great historical moments and place microphones on the scene as if the network had … commentators covering the events — Goodman Ace
commercial promotional gimmicks — Dwight MacDonald
any gimmick or glimmer of an amusing idea is a suitable substitute for professional talent — Elsa Maxwell
a new book on Hamlet must have a new gimmick — Robert Halsband
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to alter or influence by means of a gimmick or similar device or method
gimmicking up some difficult padlocks — W.L.Gresham
2. : to provide with a gimmick (as with an attention-catching device, a novel twist, or a gadget)
one of the stories … is gimmicked up — Gilbert Millstein
now the show has been gimmicked … with flashing lights and bad jokes — John Crosby
the mechanism was gimmicked … to prove what the missile could do — Time