whatzit

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableinformalAmerican

   A small object or device whose name you cannot remember or do not know.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a whatzit' or 'two whatzits'.

   Patterns

   • a whatzit for doing something
   • that whatzit on the table

   Can you pass me that whatzit on the shelf?

   I need a whatzit to open this box.

   She bought a little whatzit that makes coffee in one minute.

2. 2nouncountableinformalAmerican

   A word used when you have forgotten the name of a person or thing.

   Grammar: Often used in the pattern 'whatzit' as a placeholder, like 'whatchamacallit'.

   Patterns

   • old whatzit
   • the whatzit who called

   I saw old whatzit at the store today.

   Whatzit called and said he'd be late.

   She's going out with whatzit from the office.

Word forms

Common combinations

a whatzit for

This whatzit for opening jars is really useful.

that whatzit

That whatzit on the counter is broken.

some kind of whatzit

He gave me some kind of whatzit that lights up.

old whatzit

Old whatzit from next door came by yesterday.

Synonyms and how they differ

thingamajig

Very similar in meaning and tone, but 'thingamajig' is a bit more playful and often used for gadgets.

whatchamacallit

Also informal and used for a forgotten name, but it can refer to people or things, while 'whatzit' is more often for objects.

gizmo

Suggests a small mechanical device, often one you do not understand; 'whatzit' is broader and can be any object.

Word family

whatsit noun

British informal word for a small object or thing whose name you cannot remember.

whatchamacallit noun

Informal word for a thing or person whose name you have forgotten.

Commonly confused: whatzit or whatsit?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “whatzit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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