whatnot
Americannoun
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a stand with shelves for bric-a-brac, books, etc.
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something or anything of the same or similar kind.
sheets, pillowcases, towels, napkins, and whatnot.
noun
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Also called: what-d'you-call-it. informal a person or thing the name of which is unknown, temporarily forgotten, or deliberately overlooked
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informal unspecified assorted material
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a portable stand with shelves, used for displaying ornaments, etc
Etymology
Origin of whatnot
First recorded in 1530–40; from the phrase what not?
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.
"People go on tour for music and whatnot, but for cake," Sunga says.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
AI has the ability to be a Ph.D. in your pocket, a doctor in your pocket, an analyst in your pocket, an accountant, and whatnot.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
“We still have a footprint there in Venezuela, in terms of operating bases and whatnot, and so getting equipment there to work is fairly straightforward,” he says on a call with analysts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
I know that you can get there other ways, with a walk and whatnot, but it’s part of the puzzle to create pressure.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2025
And then Josie had had to pretend she was laughing at the word “heebie-jeebies,” not the idea that Max was surrounded by whatnot androids all the time, and he didn’t even know it.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
