gadget
Americannoun
noun
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a small mechanical device or appliance
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any object that is interesting for its ingenuity or novelty rather than for its practical use
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of gadget
1850–55; origin uncertain; compare French gâchette the catch of a lock, sear of a gunlock
Explanation
A gadget is a tool or device, especially one that works remarkably well for a specific task. Your dad's favorite kitchen gadget might be his special knife that cuts vegetables into spirals. The remote control your sister rigs up to the Christmas tree is a gadget, and your camping tool that folds out into various knives, corkscrews, and scissors is another kind of gadget. The original spelling was gadjet, and it's thought to have originated in the 1850's as sailors' slang, meaning any mechanism or ship part that either lacked a name or whose name had been forgotten. It may be rooted in the French gâchette, "piece of a mechanism."
Vocabulary lists containing gadget
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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The Ingenious Lexicon of Invention
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The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle
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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.
See Examples For:
Snap's core audience of younger consumers "rarely have this sort of money to spend on a single gadget," he said.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
The Santa Monica tech company faces fierce competition as it takes on bigger rivals such as Meta that are dominating the sale of smart glasses and needs to convince more people to buy another gadget.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Creating the world's next big gadget -- whether static, handheld, or wearable like earbuds, pendants and brooches -- is something of a holy grail for AI companies.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
If you’re worried that the maker of your favorite app or smart-home gadget isn’t part of Anthropic’s initial Mythos testing group, don’t fret.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026
“It wasn’t the easiest gadget to work with,” Hall said later.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
There’s no wonder or dread in this future — just the resigned acceptance that nothing is remarkable, despite all the nifty gadgets everyone has.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Hydration-monitoring gadgets are "interesting", says Tamara Hew-Butler at Wayne State University – though she questions whether they might raise people's anxiety about their health.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
All her kitchen gadgets and utensils are from the chain as are her pots, pans, bedding and towels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Bed Bath & Beyond, which sells home goods including towels and kitchen gadgets, filed for bankruptcy in 2023 and shut down all its locations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
“What kind of new gadgets and gizmos do you guys think Mr. Lemoncello has added to his library?” asked Mrs. Yunghans.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
