gimmick

What it means

1. A trick or device used to attain some end.

   The box had a gimmick to make the coin appear to vanish.

   2 more examples

   Epperlein and Tucker focus on two featherweight hopefuls: Dustin Poirier, a formidable contender who’s looking to parlay a history of schoolyard violence and street-fighting into a potential career, and Albert Stainback, a more thoughtful yet more erratic and undisciplined fighter whose chief gimmick is entering the ring wearing a hat like the one Malcolm McDowell wore in A Clockwork Orange.

   April 19 2012, Scott Tobias, “Fightville”, in AV Club, archived from the original on 27 Apr 2012

   Rear Admiral Mikhailovich: I don't begrudge the politicians' decision to throw you to the Council. It's an... opportunity. I do begrudge this overdesigned piece of tin, though. Shepard: The Normandy is a fine ship, sir. She's served us well so far. Rear Admiral Mikhailovich: It's a gimmick, Commander. Useless in a stand-up fight. Rear Admiral Mikhailovich: This experiment diverted billions from our apportions bills. For the same price, we could've had a heavy cruiser. Rear Admiral Mikhailovich: But no, we had to make nice to the turians. Throw money at a co-developed boondoggle.

   2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel

2. A ploy or strategy used to attract attention or gain traction.

   The contest was a gimmick to get people to sign up for their mailing list.

3. businessA gimmick capacitor.

In a sentence

The box had a gimmick to make the coin appear to vanish.

Where it comes from

Unknown. Possibly a rough anagram of magic or from gimme.