doodad

American  

[doo-dad] / ˈduˌdæd /

Or do-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.

---

Usage

What does doodad mean? Doodad is a very informal word for an object whose name you don’t know, have forgotten, or can’t recall at the moment. It’s often used to refer to gadgets or parts of things that might not even have a commonly known name, as in Before we attach the bracket, we have to insert this doodad here. It’s often used with a modifier describing the kind of thing, as in Where’s that plastic doodad?There are several other similarly informal words that are used in the same way, including the very similar doodah as well as doohickey, dingus, thingy, thingamajig, thingamabob, whachamacallit, and whatsit. Doodad is also used to mean a trinket, bauble, or some kind of decorative item or part of something. Example: My kids got me one of those doodads that track your steps. What’s it called? A stepometer?

Etymology

Origin of doodad

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

Explanation

Like a "thingamajig" or a "whatchamacallit," a doodad is an item whose name you're not sure of. You might say that your sister collects doodads she finds on the beach and keeps them in glass jars. It's handy to have an all-purpose term for those things you can't quite name, either because you've forgotten or just don't know what to call them. Ask your aunt what she sells in her little shop, and she might say, "Oh candles and soap and various doodads." In Britain, the more common word is doodah, and both words emerged in the early 20th century.

Example Sentences

No mystery is solved in Charlie Shackleton’s essayistic doodad “Zodiac Killer Project,” but the true-crime genre itself is certainly staked out and interrogated like a prime suspect.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025

We were bracing for tariffs that would increase the prices of nearly every electronic doodad this year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

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

From Seattle Times • Jan. 26, 2024

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 • Apr. 7, 2023

The only thing missing was some device or doodad that would let us use our perception or telepathy in this deadness while they couldn't.

From Highways in Hiding by Smith, George Oliver