whatsit
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What does whatsit mean? Whatsit 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 whatsit here. The word is also sometimes used to refer to things that are not physical objects, such as events, types of media, or abstract concepts. It’s not commonly used to refer to people (terms used for this purpose include what’s-her-name, what’s-his-name, and what’s-their-name). There are several other similarly informal words that are used in the same way, including the very similar term whatsis as well as whachamacallit, what-do-you-call-it, thingamajig, thingamabob, thingy, doohickey, and doodad. Example: My kids got me one of those whatsits that track your steps. What’s it called? A stepometer?
Etymology
Origin of whatsit
Reduction of what is it
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A cosmic whatsit, the story largely takes place in a black-velvet void with pinpricks of light.
From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2019
“The sight of these empty dams have scared the whatsit out of everybody.”
From The Verge • May 11, 2018
Besson’s latest futuristic whatsit, “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” seems determined to induce the opposite effect in the viewer.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 20, 2017
In my 2007 Prius, I'm afraid to change the oil lest I confuse the whosit that controls the whatsit and makes the dealybob do whatnot.
From Economist • Aug. 8, 2013
Just: Oh how are you, I had another baby named whatsit or whosis.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
