Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An indefinite name for any person or thing which a speaker is at a loss, or is too indifferent, to designate more precisely.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • "thingumbob," which took for them a very different turn indeed.

    What Maisie Knew Henry James 1879

  • Chingaladdo – equates to thingamajob, thingumbob, whatsis, and whatchamacallits of this ilk. * via a misspent youth

    Convergent linguistic evolution? 2008

  • “I was only wanting the thingumbob, yer honour,” said Tom, pretending to search diligently in the drawer for some required article.

    Castle Richmond 2004

  • He considered gold inlay for the squiggles and doohickii, but the thingumbob was too intricate for goldwork, and a gold quid would seem ostentatious.

    A Canticle for Leibowitz Miller, Walter M. 1959

  • The lines were mostly horizontal or vertical, and crossed each other with either a little jump-mark or a dot; they made right-angle turns to get around doohickii, and they never stopped in mid-space but always terminated at a squiggle, quiggle, quid, or thingumbob.

    A Canticle for Leibowitz Miller, Walter M. 1959

  • It appeared to be no more than a network of lines connecting a patchwork of doohickii, squiggles, quids, laminulae, and thingumbob.

    A Canticle for Leibowitz Miller, Walter M. 1959

  • Suppose she 'll wear a top-knot and a thingumbob, like every one else; and however shall I know her?

    An Old-Fashioned Girl 1950

  • Id always thought that when they ended wars like this they lined up same as in the pictur your father has of whats his name surrenderin to thingumbob at Yorktown.

    "Same old Bill, eh Mable!" Edward Streeter 1933

  • Now where in Tophet does this thingumbob [holdback] go?

    Horses Nine Stories of Harness and Saddle Sewell Ford 1907

  • And in thingumbob retirement by the something-or-other stream you hit on the notion of splicing the lovely Lessie Lavigne.

    The Dop Doctor Richard Dehan 1897

Comments

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  • "Mr. Thingumbob; a vulgar address or nomination to any person whose name is unknown, the same as Mr. What-d'ye-call'em. Thingumbobs: testicles."

    September 5, 2008