whatchacallit
That forgotten thing
Whatchacallit is a placeholder word for something whose name you can't recall or don't know: Hand me that whatchacallit on the counter.
It belongs to a family of similar fillers—thingamajig, doohickey, whatsit—all serving the same function of pointing to an object without naming it.
The spelling varies: whatchamacallit, whatcha-call-it.
Improvised or odd mechanism
- widgetUnspecified small device
- gizmoNameless mechanical device
- doodadUnnamed small object
- deviceConstructed tool or machine
gadget · apparatus · doohickey · mechanism · implement · instrument · tool · utensil
Placeholder word for objects
- thingamabobUnnamed object placeholder
- whatsisPlaceholder for forgotten name
- thingummyPlaceholder for forgotten names
- gizmoNameless mechanical device
doodad · whosit · watchamacallit · thingy · so-and-so · such-and-such · blah-blah · whatever
contraption
Improvised or odd mechanism
device · gadget · apparatus · doohickey · mechanism · implement · instrument · tool · utensil · accessory
doohickey
Placeholder word for objects
- thingamabobUnnamed object placeholder
- whatsisPlaceholder for forgotten name
- thingummyPlaceholder for forgotten names
gizmo · doodad · whosit · watchamacallit · thingy · so-and-so · such-and-such · blah-blah · whatever · fill-in
elusive
Hard to find
- forgottenNo longer recalled
- unrememberedNot kept in mind
- blankingErasing or forgetting
escaping · fleeting · hazy · vague · fuzzy · unclear · foggy · slipping · fading · nagging
whatchacallitproper noun
Named person or place
technical term · scientific name · proper name · nomenclature · defined term
call, what, whatnot, thingamajig, whatsit, whatchamacallit, whatchamacallits