gadget

Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Financial, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

gadg·et

(găj′ĭt)

A small specialized mechanical or electronic device; a contrivance.

[Perhaps originally 19th century glassblowers' jargon gadget, spring-pressure clip at the end of a punty to hold the foot of a glass being blown without creating a mark, probably from French gâchette, pawl, tumbler in a gunlock, strike plate : gâche, strike plate, collar or bracket for a pipe (from Middle French gasche, strike plate, iron hook, from Old French, calk of a shoe or horseshoe, from Frankish *gaspia, buckle, clasp; akin to Middle Dutch gespe, probably (with metathesis) from Germanic *gapsō, *gipsō; akin to Old Norse geispa, to yawn, and gapa, to gape) + -ette, diminutive suffix (from Middle French, from Old French; see -ette).]

gadg′et·y adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

gadget

(ˈɡædʒɪt)

1. a small mechanical device or appliance

2. any object that is interesting for its ingenuity or novelty rather than for its practical use

[C19: perhaps from French gâchette lock catch, trigger, diminutive of gâche staple]

ˈgadgety adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

gadg•et

(ˈgædʒ ɪt)

n.

a usu. small mechanical or electronic contrivance or device; any ingenious article.

[1850–55; orig. uncertain]

gadg`e•teer′, n.

gadg′et•ry, n.

gadg′et•y, adj.

gadget

- May come from French gachette, which is or has been applied to various pieces of mechanism, or from Gaget, the person who created the first so-called gadgets—miniature Statues of Liberty sold in Paris—or from a Navy term for a tool or mechanical device for which one could not recall the name.

gadget

Radar equipment (type of equipment may be indicated by a letter as listed in operation orders). May be followed by a color to indicate state of jamming. Colors will be used as follows: a. green--Clear of jamming. b. amber--Sector partially jammed. c. red--Sector completely jammed. d. blue--Completely jammed.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun

gadget - a device or control that is very useful for a particular job

appliance, contraption, contrivance, gismo, gizmo, widget, convenience

device - an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose; "the device is small enough to wear on your wrist"; "a device intended to conserve water"

gadgetry - appliances collectively; "laborsaving gadgetry"

gimbal - an appliance that allows an object (such as a ship's compass) to remain horizontal even as its support tips

injector - a contrivance for injecting (e.g., water into the boiler of a steam engine or particles into an accelerator etc.)

mod con - modern convenience; the appliances and conveniences characteristic of a modern house

gadget

noun device, thing, appliance, machine, tool, implement, invention, instrument, novelty, apparatus, gimmick, utensil, contraption (informal), gizmo (slang, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), contrivance a handy gadget for slicing vegetables

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

gadget

noun

A small specialized mechanical device:

concern, contraption, contrivance, gimmick, jigger, thing.

Informal: doodad, doohickey, widget.

Slang: gizmo.

Translations

آلة لِفَتْح العُلَب

přístrojzařízení

dimsindretningtingest

Helferlein

gadget instrument outil truc ustensile

szerkentyû

apparat, tæki

aggeggio congegno

ierīceietaise

teknisk hjelpemiddel

priprava

âlet

小器具小机械

gadget

[ˈ>gædʒɪt] N (= little thing) → artilugio m, chisme m; (= device) → aparato m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

gadget

[ˈgædʒɪt] n → gadget m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

gadget

n → Gerät nt, → Vorrichtung f, → Apparat m; with a lot of gadgets → mit allen Schikanen (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

gadget

[ˈgædʒɪt] n → aggeggio, arnese m

gadget

(ˈgӕdʒit) noun

a usually small tool, machine etc. a useful gadget for loosening bottle lids.

Mentioned in ?

References in periodicals archive ?

"The time they spent on their gadget is the time they spent away from you.

WATCH: Chesca Garcia on Team Kramer kids using gadgets

Exposure to the blue light of TV and gadget screens before bedtime also affects melatonin levels and can disrupt sleep.

Scientific studies show prolonged gadget screen time impairs kids' brains

For some, buying a portable gadget represents a significant financial burden and its cost is beyond their pocket.

Use of portable gadgets in radiology clinical and academic activities: A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study

The case features multiple gadget compartments - made st etc t nearly all portable devices with ease.

Travel wise buys

Summary: Due to the increasing demand for beautifying products and rapidly changing eye-illuminating gadgets market scenario in these countries and rising globalization.

Eye-Illuminating Gadgets Market Offers Greater Revenue Share with Rising Contributions from Major Pl

We have no doubt that the issue on strictly implementing the three Department Memorandum Orders banning the use of mobile communications gadget during class hours is again being brought to the fore in view of the opening of classes next week in all public elementary and high schools and also in many of private schools all over the country.

Rough Cuts: This ban must be implemented

by Courtesy of Dale Harris/Articlecity.comThe smart wheel is one of the coolest gadgets on the market.

Five car gadgets you shouldn't be driving without

Here are 6 best-selling mobile phones you can score at Shopee Gadget Zone:

Get the Best Deals on Top Mobile Phones from Samsung, Oppo and Vivo at Shopee Gadget Zone

If you think they're outlandish, they're nothing to the chindogu gadget that looks as if you've got a loo roll on your head.

How inventor used his noodle to help diners with 'unuseless' creations; Feel like a noodle? Best pop along to YO! Sushi in Newcastle next week, as DAVID WHETSTONE explains

To give us information and entertainment, these gadgets live on a constant supply of electric power.Unfortunately, the country's electricity supply is not growing in tandem with the number of gadgets we are adding to the power sockets.

How digital dumps imperil the future

Within the coming weeks, Zookr will completely change the whole recommerce market and funky electronic gadget markets with new features such as Zookr warranty schemes, AI-based suggestion to customers for the best product at the best deal (according to their buying habits) and many more exciting feature, which is one of its kind in e-commerce business.