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.

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)