thinginess
- noun
- /ˈθɪŋɪnəs/
- Informal
- She described the strange gadget on her desk as a little thinginess that she couldn't name.
Examples
-
When he couldn't find his keys, he referred to the missing item as a thinginess.
-
I can't remember the name of that object, so I'll just call it a thinginess.
-
The thinginess, the lists of noun phrases, and in particular the lists of proper names all create an allusive echo chamber effect.
Academic text (1990)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Something you do not know or cannot name
75
8.4
An informal word for an object when you forget its name
11
9.9
A small object whose name you do not know
7
8.7
A small thing or device whose name you do not know
7
9.9
A word for an object whose name you do not know
6
9.2
A simple word for an object you cannot remember the name of
6
5.6
A small object whose name you cannot remember
5
9.6
A thing whose name you do not know or remember
5
9.9
A word people use for a person or object when they forget its name
1
9.9
A small tool or object you forget the name of
A small object whose name you do not know
An object whose name you do not know or have forgotten
An object whose name you don't know or have forgotten
A word for something whose name you cannot remember
A word for a person or thing whose name you cannot remember
A small object used when you do not know its name
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word thinginess comes from the common word thing ('object' or 'item') plus the ending -iness that makes a word for a 'state' or 'quality', and it is like the casual words thingy or thingamajig. So people use thinginess playfully when they cannot remember a name and need a funny word for an unknown object.