Catchall

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A term that signifies an encompassing category covering multiple concepts or items
2. A general term used to cover many different things within a broad category
3. An expression that serves to include a wide range of subjects or items under one heading

Etymology: "Catchall" is a plain compound: the verb "catch" followed by "-all," a combining element that turns the word into something meaning "a thing that takes in everything." Its roots run deep. "Catch" traces back through Middle English "cacchen" and Anglo-Norman "cachier" to Old French "chacier," meaning to chase or hunt, and beyond that to Vulgar Latin "captiāre," a frequentative of Latin "capere," to take or seize. The same ancient idea of grasping lies behind the English verb. The "-all" element is English and does most of the work here. Attached to a noun or verb, it names a container or device that gathers up whatever falls into it, as in a "catch-all" drawer or a folder for miscellaneous papers. Over time the sense moved from the physical object to the general category it stands for, so a catchall term now means a broad label that covers anything not otherwise classified.

Synonyms: generalization, all-encompassing, umbrella, inclusive, miscellaneous