whatnot

[hwuht-not, hwot-, wuht-, wot-]

noun

1. a stand with shelves for bric-a-brac, books, etc.

2. something or anything of the same or similar kind.

   sheets, pillowcases, towels, napkins, and whatnot.

whatnot

/ ˈwɒtˌnɒt /

noun

1. Also called: what-d'you-call-it. informal,  a person or thing the name of which is unknown, temporarily forgotten, or deliberately overlooked

2. informal,  unspecified assorted material

3. a portable stand with shelves, used for displaying ornaments, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of whatnot¹

First recorded in 1530–40; from the phrase what not?

Example Sentences

“I’m sure that there are directors, producers, whatnot, especially in the ‘70s and ‘80s, who passed on chances to work with her because of her politics,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

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

"Everyone was calling it the garden show and whatnot so I had a bit of a following through it," he said.

From BBC

And then we just talk about albums and music and whatnot for like an hour.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s something about “Never Gone” that was just very raw — a departure from our previous records, which had a lot of synth drums and synth sounds and whatnot.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accessory 
• apparatus 
• appliance 
• equipment 
• gadget 
• gear 
• machine 
• material 
• mechanism