widget
widget — noun
1. a small mechanical or electronic object used as a stand-in term when the exact n
a small mechanical or electronic object used as a stand-in term when the exact name of the item is forgotten or unknown
Ada handed me a small widget from her keychain, but she could not name it.
collocation: small widget
The drawer held old widgets and cables that Andrés had collected over the years.
I bought a plastic widget at the market for fixing the kitchen tap.
Hamza pulled a strange widget from his bag to open the lock.
Aoi searched the box of metal widgets for one that fit the shelf.
- gadget
more general term for a small tool or device; does not carry the 'forgotten name' implication
- thingamajig
stronger placeholder feel; even more informal than widget
- device
more formal and precise; not used as a placeholder for an unknown name
用法筆記
Often used as a placeholder name when the exact term for a device is unknown or temporarily forgotten. More common in spoken than in written English.
2. a made-up product that a company is said to produce, used in business and econom
a made-up product that a company is said to produce, used in business and economics as a simple example to explain how markets or production work
In their economics report, Dylan used a widget to explain how supply and demand work.
hypothetical example in economic models
The professor told the class to calculate the cost of making one widget.
collocation: cost of making a widget
Lakshmi's business plan assumed each widget would sell for fifteen dollars.
Economists often treat a simple widget as a model for any manufactured product.
- product
generic term for anything made for sale; does not carry the 'hypothetical' implication
- commodity
a raw material or agricultural product traded in bulk; more specific and standardised than widget
- article
formal term for a manufactured item; used in legal or commercial contexts rather than textbook examples
用法筆記
Only sense of 'widget' that refers to an imaginary or representative product rather than a real object. Frequently appears in textbooks, lecture slides, and business case studies.
3. a small computer program or panel on a website or desktop screen that delivers l
a small computer program or panel on a website or desktop screen that delivers live data — for example, current weather conditions or breaking headlines — or carries out a particular job like looking up words or doing sums
The weather widget on Iker's phone showed rain for the whole weekend.
collocation: weather widget
Sirin added a news widget to her blog so readers saw updates at a glance.
add + widget + to + [webpage]
Adaeze downloaded a free calendar widget that synced with her work schedule.
The company website has a search widget in the top right corner.
Hugo installed a language widget on his desktop to practise vocabulary every morning.
- app
usually larger and more full-featured than a widget; runs as a standalone program rather than embedded in a page
- plugin
adds a function to existing software; more technical and extension-focused than widget
- module
a broader term for any self-contained unit of software; more formal and less commonly used for small display panels
用法筆記
Subject is usually a website, phone screen, or desktop interface. The widget is a self-contained module that operates independently of the main page content and often updates automatically.