catchall

[ kach-awl ]

noun

1. a bag, basket, or other receptacle for odds and ends.
2. something that covers a wide variety of items or situations:

   The list is just a catchall of things I want to see or do on vacation.

adjective

1. covering a wide variety of items or situations:

   The anthology is a catchall collection.

Word History and Origins

Origin of catchall¹

1830–40, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase catch all

Example Sentences

That view treats Middle America as a catchall for sensibility, moral uprightness and a mythical strain of virtue incorrectly believed to be absent from the supposedly libertine coasts or in large cities.

From Salon

For her Narcissus catchall, she applied the loose gestures of Chinese brush painting to metal sculpture to encapsulate the object’s qi, or vital energy.

From Seattle Times

But in the hands of the broader, and whiter, academic and journalistic left, it soon became a kind of cool catchall for progressive politics, alongside other buzzwords like “intersectionality.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Everything looks better on a tray, in a catchall or in a bucket,” he said.

From Seattle Times

The Kraken’s fourth line last season was one of their more dangerous offensive assets, but it can be a catchall.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• broad
• comprehensive