What does thingamabob mean?
A thingamabob is something whose name or exact identity the speaker cannot immediately recall. The word is especially useful when describing an unfamiliar object, searching for the correct term, or joking about forgetting what something is called. It can also refer more broadly to an unspecified thing, as in “I left my thingamabob at the office.” Thingamabob belongs to a group of playful English placeholder words, including thingamajig, thingummy, whatsit, and whatchamacallit, most of which are built around the word “thing.” It is informal and conversational, with a humorous or mildly exasperated quality that makes it more expressive than simply saying “thing.” Although particularly associated with British English, it is also understood and used in American English. In a paragraph or formal technical description, it would normally be replaced by the object's specific name.
nounAn unspecified or unnamed thing, especially one whose name or details the speaker cannot recall.
- An unspecified or unnamed thing, especially one whose name or details the speaker cannot recall.
"I need to borrow a thingamabob from the kitchen to open this parcel."
"Have you seen my reading thingamabob? I left it somewhere by the door."
"The machine is fitted with a thingamabob that clicks whenever the door opens."
The plural is used when referring to several unnamed or unidentified objects.
"There are a few thingamabobs in the toolbox."
Thingamabob is the verbal equivalent of drawing a blank: it rescues a sentence when the right name has slipped your mind.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does thingamabob come from?
Thingamabob developed within an informal English family of placeholder words built on “thing,” alongside forms such as thingummy and thingamajig. Its playful reduplicated ending gives it a sound associated with hesitation, puzzlement, and the effort to recall a name. The related forms also appear in British English, where they became established long before thingamabob's modern dictionary appearance.
Related word forms
How thingamabob is actually used
This is an informal, playful word, chiefly associated with British English but also understood and used in North American English. It is common in speech and informal writing, especially when someone is searching for a word, describing an unfamiliar object, or humorously avoiding the need to name something. It generally carries a light or mildly exasperated tone rather than a formal one.
Easily confused with thingamabob
Both words are informal placeholders for a thing whose name is unknown, but thingamajig is the more established form and is also used in British English especially.
Thingummy is a similar informal placeholder for an unnamed object, whereas thingamabob tends to sound more playful and slightly more emphatic.