gadget

gadget — noun

1. a compact mechanical or electronic item designed to handle one specific task, ty

1.nounC1
Definition

a compact mechanical or electronic item designed to handle one specific task, typically in a clever or appealing way

Example

Leila bought a clever kitchen gadget that slices and cores apples in one motion.

collocation: kitchen gadget

Ravi showed off his new gadget, a tiny box that charges three phones at once.

appositive phrase: a tiny box that…

Common collocations
  • kitchen gadget
  • travel gadget
  • handy gadget
  • electronic gadget
  • clever gadget
  • new gadget
  • broken gadget
Synonyms
  • device

    more general term; can refer to objects of any size

  • tool

    typically for manual or craft work; less tech-oriented

  • contraption

    informal; often suggests the device is oddly designed or overcomplicated

  • appliance

    for larger household machines such as fridges or ovens

Usage Note

Often suggests the device is clever, novel, or somewhat playful. Commonly appears with modifiers such as 'handy', 'clever', 'kitchen', 'travel', or 'electronic'. Not used for large household appliances (use 'appliance' instead).

Common Mistakes

My new refrigerator is a useful gadget.
My new refrigerator is a useful appliance.
'Gadget' refers to small devices, not large household appliances.

Word family

  • gadgetry
    nounC2
  • gadgety
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Gadget, device, tool, contraption, and appliance all refer to objects created with a purpose in mind, but they differ in size, formality, and tone. Device is the broadest term and can mean anything from a simple can opener to a complex medical implant, with no suggestion of novelty or size. Tool is more practical and usually associated with manual or craft work, such as a hammer or screwdriver. Gadget is smaller and implies cleverness or novelty — it is often an electronic item bought for fun or convenience rather than necessity. Contraption is informal and often humorous; it suggests something that works in an awkward or overcomplicated way, like a Rube Goldberg machine. Appliance is reserved for large household machines such as refrigerators and washing machines. For example, a smart thermometer that connects to your phone is a gadget, while a dishwasher is an appliance.

device ↗tool ↗contraptionappliance ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

uncertainEnglish

The exact origin of 'gadget' is uncertain. It may come from the French word 'gâchette', meaning the trigger mechanism of a gun, or from 19th-century sailors' slang for any small tool whose name they could not recall. By the early 1900s it had taken on its modern meaning of a small, cleverly designed device.