Dictionary

whatchamacallit en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈwʌt͡ʃməˌkɑlɪt/ (General-American)
• /ˈwɒtʃəməˌkɔːlɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈwɔtʃəməˌkɔːɫət/ (Australia)
• /ˈwʌt͡ʃəməˌkɔlɪt/ (General-American)
• (Australia) audio
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

Univerbation and contraction of what you may call it. United States, 20th century (recorded in 1921).

Meanings

1. (colloquial) A metasyntactic term used for any object whose actual name the speaker does not know or cannot remember; a doodad, gizmo, thingamajig, thingy.
   • I'm a boy, so when I'm sick, they can call in poohaghooma, Indian doctor. But not Tom Mitchell! No, sir! [We] won't have Tom Mitchell to doctor me! 'Cause whatchamacallit, he always used to doctor me … 1996, Corbett Mack, as told by Michael Hittman, “Boyhood (1892–1905)”, in Corbett Mack: The Life of a Northern Paiute (Studies in the Anthropology of North American Indians), Lincoln, Neb.; London: University of Nebraska Press, →ISBN, page 60:
   • As you've said, the safety of the American people is our first priority. We have orders that if these EMP whatchamacallits can't be secured then they must be destroyed. 2014 October, Don Pendleton, chapter 15, in Domination Bid (Don Pendleton’s Stony Man: America’s Ultra-covert Intelligence Agency; Gold Eagle Book), Don Mills, Ont.: Worldwide Library, →ISBN, page 180:
   • "Think we ought to check this whatchamacallit?" / "No, that doodad over there seems to be the problem." 1998, David Alan Black, “There’s No Place Like Rome: The Parts of Speech and Their Function”, in It’s still Greek to Me: An Easy-to-understand Guide to Intermediate Greek, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, →ISBN, page 19:
   • JESSICA: How many times do I have to say it? We were not stealing, Officer. We were just— / MONAHAN: I know. Performing some kind of whatchamacallit deed. Anyhow, they go to the clink, that's what happens to people who filch city property. 1972, Carolyn Lane, Child of Air: A One Act Play, Denver, Colo.: Pioneer Drama Service, →OCLC, page 13:
   • The Thingamajig and the Wachamacallit. 1921, Johnny Gruelle, Orphant Annie Story Book, Volume 7, page 69:
   • You’re—you must be the whatchamacallit, huh? The peer. 1969, J[ames] P[inckney] Miller, stage adaptation by F. Andrew Leslie, The People Next Door, New York, N.Y.: Dramatists Play Service, →OCLC, act II, page 42:
   • You know, he looked at everybody and everything but not me as if just by letting his eyes rest on me for a moment would let out that he and I are having a whatchamacalit. 2001 [1992], Russell Heng, Lest the Demons Get to Me, revised version January 2001, via National Library Board Singapore, Act 1, page 4:

Forms

Relateds

whatchamacallhim · whatchamacallher

Synonyms

thingy

Translations (96)

is dæmi (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · da dingenot (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pt coisa (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · fr machin (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · fr bidule (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · ka რა ჰქვია (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · fr schmilblick (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pt troço (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pt paradinha (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · it coso (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · gl aquel (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pl ustrojstwo (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · cy pethma (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · fi hilavitkutin (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · hu hogyishívják (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · fr trucmuche (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pt negócio (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pl pipsztyk (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · hu szirszar (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · yue 咩嘢 (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · es chingadera (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · cs tentononc (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · cy bechingalw (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · eo umo (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · scn socchegghiarè (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · es coso (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · fr truc (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · sv grunka (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · ru ка́к их (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · es chunche (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · uk я́к його́ (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · ko 거시기 (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · sv mojäng (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · gl cousa (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · sk oné (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · scn socchegghiadè (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · cmn 那个那个 (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · nap chilleto (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · es chisme (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · ru бандура (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · nv daadaolyéhé (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · ru ка́к его́ (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · gl couso (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · tr zımbırtı (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · de Krimskrams (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · hu izé (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pl tenteges (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · uk я́к їх (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · hu bizbasz (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · scn socchegghiè (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · es vaina (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · yue 乜東東 /乜东东 (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pl dzyndzel (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · ja 何とか (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pl dynks (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · sh kakosezove (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · yue 某 (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · it vattelapesca (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · hu hogyhívják (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pl wihajster (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · cmn 那个东西 (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pl śmeges (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · cmn 東東 /东东 (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · bg такова (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pt parada (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · ca daixonses (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · es comosellama (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · sv mackapär (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pl pierdzielnik (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · tl yung ano (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · ja 何々 (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · ko 뭐시기 (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · grc σκινδαψός (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · da himstergins (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pt bagulho (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · fr machin-chose (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · uk я́к її́ (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · aii ܗܢܐ (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · tr zamazingo (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pt bagaça (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · de Dingsda (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · el πώς το λένε (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · da dimsedut (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · nl dinges (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · yue 嗰 (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · ru ка́к её (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · zu ilokhuzane (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · is fídus (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · de Dingsbums (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · eo aĵaĵo (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · da dippedut (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · da himstregims (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · he מַה שְּׁמוֹ (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pt treco (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · pl gżdynks (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember) · ru шту́ка (any object the actual name of which the speaker does not know or cannot remember)