whatsit
whatsit — noun
1. an informal word that speakers use in place of a forgotten or deliberately avoid
an informal word that speakers use in place of a forgotten or deliberately avoided name for a person, object, or place
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
Hari kept referring to the guest speaker as that whatsit from Oxford University.
Could you hand me the whatsit — that small silver tool next to the sink?
I cannot remember the name of the whatsit that you attach to a garden hose.
- 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
文法句型
the / a / that + whatsit
whatsit + relative clause
用法筆記
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).