Thingumabob

A thingumabob is a general term for an object whose specific name is forgotten, unknown, or considered unimportant in the moment. It's a placeholder word used when you can't recall or don't want to specify the exact item you're referring to. The word implies a degree of vagueness or informality, useful in casual conversation and scenarios where precision isn't paramount. The term is often used when pointing to an object, when explaining how something works by indicating an object, or when avoiding a technical term or complicated word to maintain simplicity in conversation.

Thingumabob meaning with examples

• Could you hand me that thingumabob over there, the one on the table? I need to use it to open this package. It's the little metallic thing with the pointed end, not the plastic one. It will only take a moment, I promise. You probably know exactly which thingumabob I'm referring to, right?
• I was at the hardware store earlier, and I saw this amazing thingumabob. It attaches to your drill, and then it polishes wood. It's a real labour-saving thing. You should see it, this particular thingumabob is the perfect way to remove that ugly stain from the deck. You really won't be sorry if you buy one.
• When I was building the model, I couldn't find the right piece, so I just grabbed a thingumabob from another kit to hold everything in place. I made a similar thingumabob and it worked perfectly as a substitute! I'm a very proud DIYer. It was a clever thingumabob to use, really.
• The recipe called for two cups of flour and a thingumabob of baking soda. Do you have any idea how much a thingumabob of baking soda is? I need to know exactly what to use or else the entire cake is going to explode on me when I put it in the oven.