whatsit

whatsit — noun

1. an informal word that speakers use in place of a forgotten or deliberately avoid

1.noun
Definition

an informal word that speakers use in place of a forgotten or deliberately avoided name for a person, object, or place

Example

Asher rummaged through the drawer for the whatsit that opens the battery cover.

collocation: 'the whatsit' + relative clause describing the object

Aylin asked whether the whatsit on the top shelf belonged to anyone.

collocation: 'the whatsit' as a vague noun phrase

Common collocations
  • the whatsit
  • that whatsit
  • a whatsit
  • little whatsit
  • whatsit called
Synonyms
  • thingy

    British informal; same placeholder function, equally vague

  • thingamajig

    American informal; slightly more playful, often for mechanical objects

  • whatchamacallit

    longer variant of 'whatsit', same meaning and register

  • doohickey

    American informal; refers specifically to a small device or gadget

Grammar Patterns

the / a / that + whatsit

whatsit + relative clause

Usage Note

Highly informal and used mainly in spoken English. Can refer to a person, an object, or a place. Avoid in formal writing or academic contexts. Variants include 'thingy' (British) and 'thingamajig' (American).

Common Mistakes

Please find attached the whatsit for your signature.
Please find attached the document for your signature.
'whatsit' is too informal for professional correspondence.
The whatsit in the living room is broken.' (when you know it is a lamp)
The lamp in the living room is broken.
use the correct name when you know it.

Word family

  • whatsits
    noun (plural)

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four are informal placeholders for a forgotten or unknown name. 'Whatsit' is the shortest and most neutral — it works for people, objects, and places equally. 'Thingy' (British) is similar but feels slightly more conversational. 'Thingamajig' (American) and 'doohickey' both lean toward physical gadgets or mechanical parts rather than people or abstract concepts. 'Whatchamacallit' is the longest form and can sound a bit playful or self-conscious. In practice, a British speaker might say 'Pass me the thingy,' while an American would be more likely to say 'Hand me the thingamajig.' For a person whose name you have forgotten, 'whatsit' or 'whatchamacallit' work best; 'doohickey' would sound odd applied to a person.

thingy ↗thingamajigwhatchamacallitdoohickey

Common collocations

Phrases

  • the whatsit
  • that whatsit
  • a whatsit called

Prepositions

Etymology

Englishwhat is it

A contraction of the question 'what is it?', first recorded in the mid-19th century. The two words were run together and repurposed as a single noun that stands in for any name the speaker cannot recall or chooses not to say. Similar formations exist in other Germanic languages (e.g. German 'Dingsda').