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doohickey - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

First attested 1914, of uncertain origin, probably from doodad + hickey.

doohickey (plural doohickeys)

  1. (slang, originally US) A thing (used in a vague way to refer to something whose name one does not know or cannot recall)
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:thingy

    What does this doohickey do?

    • 1981 October 27, William E. Geist, “HUNTING FOR DOOHICKEYS”, in The New York Times‎[1]:

      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.

    • 2019 December 8, Scott Tobias, “‘Watchmen’ Season 1, Episode 8 Recap: Chicken or Egg?”, in The New York Times‎[2]:

      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.

a thing