tinsel

Everyday

1. Tinsel is long strings of thin, shiny, glittering material used as decoration, especially at Christmas. tree →
2. Tinsel can also mean something that looks bright and exciting but has little real value. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life it is a Christmas decoration on trees, in classrooms and at school plays. In stories it can stand for showy glamour, as in "Tinseltown" (a nickname for Hollywood). Phrases: a strand of tinsel, gold tinsel, tinsel and baubles.

Examples

• We wrapped silver tinsel around the Christmas tree. tree →
• The angel in the nativity play wore tinsel as a halo. tree →
• Tinsel sparkled in the classroom window. tree →
• The cat kept pulling the tinsel off the tree. tree →
• In Australia, people hang tinsel even though Christmas is in summer. tree →
• The film star's life was all tinsel and no real happiness. tree →
• The golden star of tinsel was still on the top of the Tree, and glittered in the sunshine. tree →

Note

Uncountable: some tinsel, a strand of tinsel (not a tinsel). Safety: keep tinsel away from pets and very small children, who may swallow it.