What does whatsis mean?
Whatsis is an informal English noun used as a placeholder for a thing whose name or identity is unknown or unimportant. A speaker might say “pass me that whatsis” when pointing to an unfamiliar object, or “I need a whatsis for the machine” when unable to recall the required part. Because it combines “what” and “is,” the word often carries a deliberately vague, comic tone: it can be a verbal shrug, an expression of uncertainty, or a mildly impatient way of dismissing the need for precision. It is especially common in speech, though its spelling appears in informal writing as well. Variants include “what’sis” and “what’s-is.” In careful prose, a specific term such as “device,” “component,” or “tool” is normally preferable. Whatsis should not be confused with the contraction “what’s,” which normally means “what is” or “what has,” though its sound can resemble the name of an object called a “whatsit.” The word is valuable chiefly for the attitude it conveys: uncertainty combined with a willingness to continue without supplying a name.
nounAn unnamed or unspecified thing, especially one whose name or identity the speaker does not know or does not wish to specify.
- An unnamed, unidentified, or deliberately unspecified thing.
"I need a whatsis to hold that door open."
"Pass me that whatsis on the table."
"The machine needs a whatsis before it will start."
The plural is formed regularly with -es.
"He packed all the necessary whatsises before leaving."
Sometimes a noun is less about naming than shrugging: “that whatsis over there” does the job.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of whatsis
Whatsis is a modern English colloquial blend of “what” and “is,” developed as a spoken expression for an unnamed or unspecified thing. The first element continues Old English hwæt, the ancestor of modern English “what,” while the second is the modern form of “is,” the third-person singular present of be. Its development in informal speech encouraged variant spellings such as “what’sis” and “what’s-is.”
Related word forms
How whatsis is actually used
Informal and mainly conversational. It may sound jokey, evasive, or mildly impatient; in formal writing, a precise noun is generally preferable.
Easily confused with whatsis
Whatsis is a vague noun naming an unspecified thing, whereas what's is normally a contraction of “what is” or “what has,” though it can also be a possessive form.