doodad

or do-dad

[ doo-dad ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a decorative embellishment; trinket; bauble:

   a dress covered with doodads.

2. a gadget; device:

   a kitchen full of the latest doodads.

Word History and Origins

Origin of doodad¹

First recorded in 1900–05; gradational compound based on dial. dad piece, flake

Example Sentences

But I think my favorite is an odd-looking metallic doodad called the Hush-A-Phone.

From Seattle Times

Some can stay where they fell for years, even decades, until as a New York Times editorial put it, "somebody — often, a child spotting a brightly colored, battery-size doodad on the ground — accidentally sets it off."

From Salon

A merchant or a street performer doesn’t have to buy a special cash register or another pricey doodad to take money that isn’t cash.

From Washington Post

Until the kids were old enough to appreciate what was inside a box — rather than the act of ripping wrapping paper and having a new doodad — I let the grandparents buy the presents while I enriched their future.

From Seattle Times

Now, the thing about HP doing this, specifically, is that the company has been trying to make this kind of fabric-bound folio luxury doodad a thing for years.

From The Verge