doodad

Meaning

Used to refer to something whose name one cannot recall: an unspecified device, gadget, part, or thing.

Synonyms

thingamajig

whatchamacallit

thingummy

widget

thingy

gizmo

doohickey

thingamabob

whatchamacallum

gadget

gimmick

gismo

thing

thingumabob

gubbins

whatsis

thingumajig

doojigger

thingmabob

thingmajig

flat car

doobry

trifle

trinket

trick

whatsit

stuff

flatcar

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈduːdæd/

Etymology

Unknown; attested since the 1880s. Compare earlier daud (“a piece of something”), later doohickey (“a thing (whose name one cannot recall)”), dialectal dad, dadge (“a large piece, chunk”).