whatnot

American  

[hwuht-not, hwot-, wuht-, wot-] / ˈʰwʌtˌnɒt, ˈʰwɒt-, ˈwʌt-, ˈwɒt- /

noun

1. a stand with shelves for bric-a-brac, books, etc.

2. something or anything of the same or similar kind.

   sheets, pillowcases, towels, napkins, and whatnot.

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whatnot British  

/ ˈwɒtˌnɒt /

noun

1. Also called: what-d'you-call-it.  informal a person or thing the name of which is unknown, temporarily forgotten, or deliberately overlooked

2. informal unspecified assorted material

3. a portable stand with shelves, used for displaying ornaments, etc

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Etymology

Origin of whatnot

First recorded in 1530–40; from the phrase what not?

Example Sentences

The bookcase landed upside down, and all the books and powders and whatnot were lost.

From Literature

“We still have a footprint there in Venezuela, in terms of operating bases and whatnot, and so getting equipment there to work is fairly straightforward,” he says on a call with analysts.

From The Wall Street Journal

There are symbols and whatnot that you are gifted with that may not make sense on a conscious level, or they may.

From Los Angeles Times

“Tigers? What nonsense. Go back to your books and globes and whatnots, what? The attic is no place for singing.”

From Literature

“You can keep your whatonyms and whatnots. My business is profit, and when I see an opportunity to make some, I act upon it.”

From Literature

Related Words

• accessory
• apparatus
• appliance
• equipment
• gadget
• gear
• machine
• material
• mechanism