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widget

noun — 6 senses

widget

noun

UK, US /ˈwɪd͡ʒ.ɪt/

Etymology Coined by American playwright George S. Kaufman in 1924 in his play Beggar on Horseback (1924). The preface to the 1924 play credits an earlier German work from 1911 where there is an actor Elisabeth Wigge.

1

A placeholder name for an unnamed, unspecified, or hypothetical manufactured good or product, typically as an example for purposes of explaining concepts.

  • Suppose we have a widget factory that produces 100 units per year...
  • Damage inflicted on the rail industry supply chain, from major contractors to widget manufacturers, would have further profound nationwide consequences on an already damaged industry and wrecked economy.2020 August 12, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Rail at the brink? Not yet...”, in Rail, page 3:
2

A floating device inside a beer can, meant to create foam when opened.

3

A small scraping tool consisting of a blade and a handle, commonly used to remove paint from glass and other smooth surfaces.

4

Informal Synonym of tool, implement, device, gadget, part.

widget

noun

Etymology Blend of window + gadget.

1

Computing, Engineering, Graphical user interface, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences Any one of the components of a computer application's graphical user interface, such as a Cancel button or text input box that a user interacts with.

2

Computing, Engineering, Graphical user interface, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A small applet that can be placed on the desktop or in a sidebar, etc.

  • This weather widget shows the current temperature.
Derived terms
disclosure widget

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.