gadget

[ gaj-it ]

noun

1. a mechanical contrivance or device; any ingenious article.

   Synonyms: thingamajig, doohickey, whatsis, contraption

gadget

/ ˈɡædʒɪt /

noun

1. a small mechanical device or appliance
2. any object that is interesting for its ingenuity or novelty rather than for its practical use

Derived Forms

• ˈgadgety, adjective

Other Words From

• gadg·et·y [gaj, -i-tee], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gadget¹

1850–55; origin uncertain; compare French gâchette the catch of a lock, sear of a gunlock

Word History and Origins

Origin of gadget¹

C19: perhaps from French gâchette lock catch, trigger, diminutive of gâche staple

Example Sentences

Channel 5’s The Gadget Show had just named Foundem the best price comparison website in the UK.

From BBC

Gadget geeks always want to have the latest and greatest silicon-filled junk, coughing up unknown thousands of dollars to do so.

From Slate

Global sales more than doubled between 2022 and 2023, it tells the BBC, and Tamagotchi has now opened its first shop in the UK - something it didn't even do when it was 1996's hottest gadget.

From BBC

While the headset is different from AR glasses, the gadget can display real-time video of a user’s surroundings in the physical world.

From Los Angeles Times

The company reported selling 150,000 pairs, but most people stopped using them after a month and underwhelming demand for the gadget resulted in hundreds of thousands of unsold pairs.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• apparatus
• appliance
• contraption
• gimmick
• gizmo
• object
• tool
• utensil
• widget