catch-alls

Places for everything

Catch-alls are containers, categories, or terms that hold miscellaneous items or cover a broad range of things.

A drawer becomes a catch-all for odds and ends.

A legal clause may serve as a catch-all for situations not explicitly covered: The "other duties as assigned" line is a catch-all that lets them ask you to do anything.

The word often implies vagueness or convenience over precision.

inclusive

comprehensive

Including all elements

umbrella · sweeping · across-the-board · wall-to-wall · wholesale · indiscriminate · nonselective · unselective · broad-brush · dragnet

miscellany

miscellaneous

Of mixed composition

medley · potpourri · grab-bag · mishmash · motley · patchwork · ragbag · omnium-gatherum · farrago · gallimaufry

vague

general

Widespread, not specialized

undefined · ambiguous · nebulous · fuzzy · broad · loose · imprecise · inexact · placeholder · filler

containers

uncategorized

Not assigned a type

Opposites
specificity of purpose

catch-allspigeonholes

Narrow sorting slots

cubbies · filing systems · cubbyholes

organizational precision

catch-allsfine distinctions

Subtle, precise differences

technical specifications

Family

catch, all, catches, catching, caught, catcher, catchers, catchy, catchable

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G