doohickey

plural doohickeys · alternative dohickey · alternative do-hickey · alternative doo-hickey · alternative do-hinky · alternative doohinky

1. slangA thing (used in a vague way to refer to something whose name one does not know or cannot recall)

   What does this doohickey do?

   2 more examples

   Customers will ask for "gizmos" and "what-cha-ma-call-its" and "doohickeys," and make crude drawings on paper bags of what it is they think they need.

   1981 October 27, William E. Geist, “HUNTING FOR DOOHICKEYS”, in The New York Times

   Besides, the show has invented a doohickey that makes it possible for Dr. Manhattan to exist as Calvin, a stable and supportive husband and father with no memory of his life as Jon Osterman, who can live out those 10 years as something close to a human being.

   2019 December 8, Scott Tobias, “‘Watchmen’ Season 1, Episode 8 Recap: Chicken or Egg?”, in The New York Times

   Synonyms: Sorted by number of Google hits, widget, hickey, gizmo, thingy, gimmick, thingie, jigger