What does whatchamacallit mean?
Whatchamacallit is an informal noun used when a speaker cannot remember, does not know, or does not wish to specify the name of a person or thing. Its deliberately vague form allows a conversation to continue without identifying the referent precisely, often with a joking, impatient, or dismissive effect. For example, someone might describe an unfamiliar tool as “some sort of whatchamacallit” rather than name it. The word can refer to objects, devices, people, medicines, or even abstract concepts, although its most characteristic use is for physical things whose names are unknown or unimportant to the speaker. It is conversational rather than formal and is especially familiar in British English, while remaining readily understood in American English. Whatchamacallit belongs to a family of improvised placeholder names, including whatsit and thingamajig, but its construction—combining “what” with “call it”—gives it a distinctive rhythm and a slightly more explicit expression of the speaker’s inability to provide a name.
nounAn indefinite, informal name for a person or thing whose name the speaker cannot remember or does not consider important. It is often used to dismiss or avoid identifying the referent precisely.
- An unspecified person, object, device, or other thing whose name is unknown, unimportant, or deliberately avoided.
"The gadget was some sort of whatchamacallit with a digital display."
"She replaced the loose handle with a whatchamacallit from the hardware store."
"What was the name of that whatchamacallit the doctor prescribed?"
The plural is used when referring to several unspecified objects or devices.
"The drawer was full of loose screws, cables, and other whatchamacallits."
Whatchamacallit is a verbal shrug: it names something without actually committing to what it is.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does whatchamacallit come from?
Whatchamacallit is generally understood as a blend of the question word “what” and the phrase “you may call it,” with “ama” functioning as a linking element. It developed as a playful, conversational expression during the 20th century and became established in informal British and American English.
How whatchamacallit is actually used
This is an informal, colloquial word with a mildly dismissive or humorous tone. It is especially common in speech and in conversational writing, particularly British English, but is also understood throughout the United States.
Easily confused with whatchamacallit
A whatsit is a similar informal placeholder for an unnamed object, while whatchamacallit is generally the fuller and more emphatic form.
Thingamajig is a rhyming placeholder for an unspecified object, whereas whatchamacallit follows the construction of “what you may call it.”