gizmo

[giz-moh]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gizmo ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural giz·mos.

gismo.

gismo

or giz·mo

[giz-moh]

noun, plural gis·mos. Informal.

a gadget or device: What is this gismo supposed to do?

Origin of gismo

First recorded in 1940–45; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for gizmo

contraption, widget, tool, appliance, instrument, device, doohickey, machine, contrivance, thingamajig, whatchamacallit, thingamabob

Examples from the Web for gizmo

Contemporary Examples of gizmo

When my father died in 1967, I inherited the gizmo and used it until I ran out of its special razor blades in the mid-1970s.
Real Men Cut Their Own Hair
David Frum
September 24, 2012
I wrote the company, explained the situation, and wondered where could I buy blades for their gizmo?
Real Men Cut Their Own Hair
David Frum
September 24, 2012
The third gizmo is the Laser Genesis, which treats fine lines, redness, and uneven skin texture.
The $1,250 Facial
Beth Landman
March 18, 2010
There is also a trend toward ‘O’-ending names, such as Leo, Romeo, Rocco, Oreo, Gizmo and Milo.
Top 20 Dog Names of the Future
Linda Rosenkrantz
February 14, 2010

British Dictionary definitions for gizmo

gizmo

gismo

noun plural -mos

slang a device; gadget

Word Origin for gizmo

C20: of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gizmo

1942, "Marine and Navy usage for any old thing you can't put a name to" ["Life" magazine, July 30, 1945], of unknown origin, perhaps a made-up word.