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whatsit
[ hwuhts-it, hwots-, wuhts-, wots- ]
whatsit
/ ˈwɒtsɪt /
noun
- informal.a person or thing the name of which is unknown, temporarily forgotten, or deliberately overlooked
Word History and Origins
Origin of whatsit1
Example Sentences
If you’ve seen his fleet, clever 2019 whatsit “Chained for Life,” about the vanities troubling a low-budget mad-scientist movie shoot starring a cast of disabled actors, you know how attuned Schimberg can be to everyday snubs and microaggressions.
“Demolishing the puny vocalizations of ‘folk’ trios like the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Whatsit, Koerner and company showed how it should be done,” David Bowie wrote in a 2003 article in Vanity Fair in which he included “Blues, Rags & Hollers” on a list of his 25 favorite albums.
Hammer is on the trail of “the great whatsit,” a highly coveted case that everyone seems willing to kill for.
The Boogeyman Rated PG-13 for a hanging corpse, a malevolent molar and an evil whatsit.
Marcel is inexplicably alive, even if, from the looks of him, he’s little more than a walking, talking empty carapace, a whatsit about an inch big with one googly eye, two shoes and an animated mouth that’s a font for a high-pitched, babyish voice.
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More About Whatsit
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?
Where does whatsit come from?
The first records of the word whatsit come from the 1800s. It’s a shortening of the question What is it?
Today, the word is especially used to refer to small, physical objects, but its ambiguous nature means it can be used for all kinds of things (which is really the point of a word like whatsit). Sometimes, it’s used just to be a bit funny, even if you actually know the name of the object you’re referring to.
Did you know ... ?
What are some synonyms for whatsit?
- whatsis
- whachamacallit
- what-do-you-call-it
- whaddyacallit
- thingamajig
- thingamabob
- thingy
- doohickey
- doodad
- doodah
- dingus
What are some words that share a root or word element with whatsit?
What are some words that often get used in discussing whatsit?
How is whatsit used in real life?
Whatsit is very informal. It’s especially used in speech as a way for the speaker to refer to something whose name they don’t know or can’t remember at that moment.
isn't that one of those whatsits? like another citrus that's related to lemons that I forget the name of… maybe I'm making that up.
— brandon sheffield (@necrosofty) January 16, 2020
think I've had a thing, one of those whatsits where you realise something really important. not going back to bed til I remember what it was
— becca (@smallbecca) January 15, 2010
@Mysteryves any idea on this Whatsit?? At our health food store. Big, gorgeous leaf stems grow on very large thick "stems"! I want one 💟☺️😍 pic.twitter.com/aKb45UCsio
— sarablue🐱 (@SomaticBorder) February 13, 2017
Try using whatsit!
Is whatsit used correctly in the following sentence?
This darn whatsit doesn’t even work anymore—can you pick up another one at the store?
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