thingamabob
Americannoun
Usage
What does thingamabob mean? Thingamabob is a very informal word for an object whose name you don’t know, have forgotten, or can’t recall at the moment.It’s often used to refer to gadgets or parts of things that might not even have a commonly known name, as in Before we attach the bracket, we have to insert this thingamabob here. Thingamabob is sometimes used even if you know the name of the thing you’re referring to. It can be used to be dismissive or to downplay the importance or value of an object, such as when someone is admiring it, as in What, these old thingamabobs? I’ve got a whole boxful of ’em. Take as many as you want. Less commonly, it can be spelled as thingumabob or thingumbob. There are several other similarly informal words that are used in the same way, including thingamajig, thingy, whachamacallit, whatsit, doohickey, and doodad.Example: My kids got me one of those thingamabobs that track your steps. What’s it called? A stepometer?
Etymology
Origin of thingamabob
First recorded in 1835–45; thingamajig, bob 2
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.
As an instrumental version of the original film’s “Part of Your World” swells to a dramatic crescendo, Ariel eyes the trinkets, wonders and thingamabobs this one tavern holds.
From Los Angeles Times
It is, as always, a relief when the stakes in a Marvel thingamabob aren’t the fate of the universe, but solvable by human ingenuity and just a wee bit of phosphorescent magic.
From Washington Post
I’m someone who often needs to plug in way more mice, cameras, drives, headphones, and other thingamabobs than my laptops allow, so my workspace is often covered in a mess of dongles and docks.
From The Verge
It takes a long time for this dim, flimsy thingamabob to accept his own sentience.
From The Verge
And the days of low-stakes thingamabobs with some stars and even a little bit of writing are gone.
From New York Times
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.
