Thingumabob

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An informal term referring to an object, item, or gadget whose name is forgotten or unknown
2. A quirky expression used to denote a various or unspecified object, often in casual conversation
3. A placeholder for a person, thing, or concept when the exact word eludes the speaker

Etymology: Before "thingumabob" named a gadget, its parts were already doing the work separately. "Thing" is one of the oldest words in English, and "thingum" was a clipped form of "thingumbob" that existed as a stand-in noun before the full word appeared. The earliest recorded use dates to 1751, in the plural form "thingumbobs." The word then changed over time, with "thingumbob" reshaped into "thingamabob," the spelling most people use today. Both versions mean the same thing: a nameless everyday gadget whose proper label the speaker cannot recall or does not care to supply.

Synonyms: thingamajig, whatchamacallit, doohickey, gadget, widget