catchall
[kach-awl]
- a bag, basket, or other receptacle for odds and ends.
- something that covers a wide variety of items or situations: The list is just a catchall of things I want to see or do on vacation.
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- covering a wide variety of items or situations: The anthology is a catchall collection.
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Origin of catchall
1830–40, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase catch all
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for catchall
Contemporary Examples
Kocurek said he was told he had been terminated “for cause,” a catchall term that allows dismissal for just about any reason.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News
December 9, 2014
An accusation of witchcraft is vague enough to serve as a kind of catchall for discontent.
Historical Examples
Most of you in this Chamber didn't know what was in this catchall bill and report.
The IMF's propensity to provide a "catchall" one-measure-fits-all panacea is nothing short of shortsighted and disastrous.
After the RainSam Vaknin
This department is a catchall for a lot of items, and it hides a lot of leaks and wastes in business.
Dollars and SenseCol. Wm. C. Hunter