What does "gadget" mean?
A thing whose name cannot be remembered; thingamajig, doohickey.
Gadget
/ɡæd͡ʒ.ɪt/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A thing whose name cannot be remembered; thingamajig, doohickey.
- Grammar: gadget is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: contraption, gizmo, contrivance, widget.
- Useful contrasts: hand tool, obsolete tool.
- Usage evidence: This is a great time-saving gadget for the housewife.
How to use "gadget"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gadget" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gadget" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "gadget" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gadget" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "gadget" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "contraption" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "gadget", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A thing whose name cannot be remembered; thingamajig, doohickey. obsolete
"Then the names of all the other things on board a ship! I don't know half of them yet; even the sailors forget at times, and if the exact name of anything they want happens to slip from their memory, they call it a chicken-fixing, or a gadjet, or a timmey-noggy, or a wim-wom—just pro tem., you know."
- 2 a device or control that is very useful for a particular job wordnet
- 3 Any device or machine, especially one whose name cannot be recalled, often either clever or complicated.
"He bought a neat new gadget for shredding potatoes."
- 4 Any consumer electronics product. informal
"From the Marvel Mixmaster to the Miracle Microwave, every time a new-fangled gadget has lobbed into the Aussie kitchen, Aussie mums have changed their cooking styles accordingly."
- 5 A sequence of machine code instructions crafted as part of an exploit that attempts to divert execution to a memory location chosen by the attacker.
"A Spectre gadget was found in the Linux kernel's implementation of system interrupts."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A technique for converting a part of one problem to an equivalent part of another problem, used in constructing reductions.
"We reduce an instance of 3-SAT to an instance of bird-flock-optimization, using a gadget that converts each conjunctive Boolean clause to a group of birds."
- 7 A spring clip attached to the end of a punty in order to grasp the foot of a glass without leaving a bullion while finishing the bowl.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
hand toolobsolete tool
Example
"This is a great time-saving gadget for the housewife."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gadget"?
Common synonyms include: contraption, gizmo, contrivance, widget, a device, affair.
How do you use "gadget" in a sentence?
This is a great time-saving gadget for the housewife.
How do you pronounce "gadget"?
Pronounced /ɡæd͡ʒ.ɪt/.
Etymology
Unknown. First used in print by Robert Brown in 1886 (see quote in definition section). Might come from French gâchette or gagée, or from the French family name Gaget, an industrialist who produced promotional gadgets in collaboration with the project to build the statue of Liberty.