tinsel

 
Pronunciation: /ˈtɪns(ə)l/

noun

[mass noun]
  • a form of decoration consisting of thin strips of shiny metal foil attached to a long piece of thread: a room bedecked with tinsel and fairy lights
  • showy or superficial attractiveness or glamour: his taste for the tinsel of the art world

Derivatives

tinselled

(US tinseled) adjective

tinselly

adjective

Origin:

late Middle English (denoting fabric either interwoven with metallic thread or spangled): from Old French estincele 'spark', or estinceler 'to sparkle', based on Latin scintilla 'a spark'