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placeholder

placeholder

6 4.0
A temporary word or object that takes the place of the real thing
  • noun
  • /ˈpleɪsˌhoʊldər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : texto de marcador de posición
  • In the presentation, we used names like 'John Doe' as placeholders for the real clients.

It's not uncommon for retailers to do placeholder pricing though, so we'll see.

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Examples

  • All of the art you see on this website is placeholder art for the gameplay prototype!

    Blog text (10)
  • That's just a placeholder name.

  • The cat here is simply a placeholder for the Christ child or right to left.

  • These are kind of placeholder names.

  • "Big Snow" was the placeholder name; not a lot of people know that.

    Blog text (25)
  • If I got to pick the placeholder name, that's what it would have been.

    Blog text (25)
  • It's not uncommon for retailers to do placeholder pricing though, so we'll see.

  • It's a placeholder right now, but when the real long pike shows up, you best be warned.

  • Maybe these are just some sort of placeholders.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • They felt like placeholders for when you are writing and you're like, I'm going to come back and name that better.

Synonyms

representation
vsplaceholder
74 3.5

A picture or model that shows what something looks like

is a temporary substitute used only until the real item becomes available
symbol
vsplaceholder
73 2.7

A mark, like a letter, that stands for something

is used temporarily as a marker to take the place of a missing item
foo
vsplaceholder
  • Jargon
22 9.9

A simple name used as an example in computer code

is more general, used across fields and item types not just code labels
placeholder name
vsplaceholder
6.0

A name used temporarily for a person or thing when the real name is unknown

is used broadly as a temporary stand in until the real thing exists

Antonyms

102 3.8

A thing that is not fake and is exactly as expected

Compounds

A name used temporarily for a person or thing when the real name is unknown

How Specific

placeholder
  • Specialized
6 4.0
blank
103 1.7

Surface Forms

placeholder singular
placeholders plural

Morphology

placeholder = place + holder (transparent) = place + hold + er

The components 'place' + 'holder' clearly indicate a temporary substitute that 'holds a place', matching the sense.

Etymology

Placeholder is made of place 'position' and holder 'one who keeps something'. So a placeholder is anything that 'holds' a place for the real thing until it arrives.