title: Bagatelle (literary technique)
text: # Bagatelle (literary technique)
  
  A bagatelle is a short literary piece in light style. Definitions of the term vary, with bagatelle referring to a variety of forms, while generally considered an unimportant or insignificant thing or trifle.
  
  ## Definitions
  
  ### The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
  
  * n. An unimportant or insignificant thing; a trifle.
  * n. A short, light piece of verse or music.
  * n. A game played on an oblong table with a cue and balls.
  
  ### Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
  
  * n. A trifle; an unsubstantial thing.
  * n. A short piece of literature or of instrumental music, typically light or playful in character.
  * n. A game similar to billiards played on an oblong table with pockets or arches at one end only.
  * n. Any of several smaller, wooden table top games developed from the original bagatelle in which the pockets are made of pins; also called pin bagatelle, hit-a-pin bagatelle, jaw ball.
  
  ### GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
  
  * n. A trifle; a thing of no importance.
  * n. A game played on an oblong board, having, at one end, cups or arches into or through which balls are to be driven by a rod held in the hand of the player.
  
  ### The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
  
  * n. A trifle; a thing of no importance.
  * n. A game played on a table having at one end nine holes, into which balls are to be struck with a billiard-cue.
  * n. Specifically, in music, a short and light piece, usually for the piano.
  
  ### WordNet 3.0 (2006) by Princeton University
  
  * n. something of little value or significance
  * n. a table game in which short cues are used to knock balls into holes that are guarded by wooden pegs; penalties are incurred if the pegs are knocked over
  * n. a light piece of music for piano
  
  ## Etymologies
  
  French, from Italian bagatella, diminutive of dialectal bagata, little property, possibly from Latin bāca, berry (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition) From French bagatelle, from Italian bagattella. (Wiktionary)
  
  