gadget
Americannoun
noun
-
a small mechanical device or appliance
-
any object that is interesting for its ingenuity or novelty rather than for its practical use
Other Word Forms
- gadgety adjective
Etymology
Origin of gadget
1850–55; origin uncertain; compare French gâchette the catch of a lock, sear of a gunlock
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.
Ndedi, from Cameroon, uses her acrobatic skills for the most elaborate escapes, Cryptic is the hacker from Kenya and Congolese Fred is the getaway driver and gadget maker.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026
Nonetheless, at the CES show in Las Vegas, gadget makers have pitched AI pendants as note-takers or ways to remember beautiful or important moments of each day.
From Barron's • Jan. 11, 2026
On the clock and off, I am a gadget problem solver.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025
This handy gadget taps into any nearby Wi-Fi connection — and if there’s no Wi-Fi to be had, you can always use a 4G-dongle or ethernet-USB adapter to utilize the same service.
From Salon • Aug. 26, 2019
Well, I didn't get a gadget that makes Garfield-like speech bubbles over my head, but I did get an electric wheelchair, and our school began something called 'inclusion classes' I thought that was funny.
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
