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gubbins

gubbins

9.9
Small things you do not know the name of or need
  • noun
  • /ˈɡʌbɪnz/
  • UK
translation icon : trastos
  • I cleaned out my drawer and found a lot of old gubbins, like broken pens and paperclips.

Examples

  • She rummaged through the attic, discovering boxes of gubbins that had been forgotten over time.

  • The garage was filled with gubbins from years of home improvement projects that we never used.

  • Therefore, online education can provide students with an array of sources and increased opportunities to improve knowledge and skills in technology applications that are vital to the modern workplace (Gubbins, Clay, & Perkins, 1999; Johnson, Roach, & Homes, 1999).

    Academic text (2008)
  • In a study of San Diego's literacy reforms, Bitter, O'Day, Gubbins, and Socias (2009) determined that verbal interaction was limited, even in the district's "balanced literacy" program.

    Academic text (2013)

Synonyms

widget
vsgubbins
59 5.1

A small useful thing or tool for a particular job

can mean either a single device or a pile of miscellaneous small items
gizmo
vsgubbins
  • Informal
56 7.1

A small device or tool whose name you do not know

is broader, also applying to several small unnamed items together
doohickey
vsgubbins
  • Informal
11 9.9

A small object whose name you do not know

broads to include collections of small unnamed things as well
doodad
vsgubbins
  • Informal
7 8.7

A small thing or device whose name you do not know

also covers groups of small unnamed items, not only single objects
whatchamacallit
vsgubbins
  • Informal
7 9.9

A word for an object whose name you do not know

adds the sense of many small unnamed items, not only one object
gimmick
vsgubbins
  • Informal
6 5.6

A small object whose name you cannot remember

is steadier in meaning as unnamed small objects rather than a trick
thingamajig
vsgubbins
  • Informal
5 9.9

A word people use for a person or object when they forget its name

leans more toward small unlabeled objects or mixed small items
thingamabob
vsgubbins
  • Informal
5 9.6

A thing whose name you do not know or remember

can also mean a collection of various small unnamed items
whatsis
vsgubbins
  • Informal
1 9.9

A thing whose name you cannot remember

is used more broadly for small miscellaneous objects and collections
gallimaufry
vsgubbins
  • Archaic
9.9

A mixed collection of different things

is used for small miscellaneous items or individual unknown objects
thingumabob
vsgubbins
  • Informal
9.9

An object whose name you don't know or have forgotten

extends to miscellaneous small objects and groups, not just one item
thingmajig
vsgubbins
  • Informal
9.9

An object whose name you do not know or have forgotten

is broader, covering single things or mixed small items together
thingumajig
vsgubbins
  • Informal
9.9

A small object whose name you do not know

often applies to small unnamed items collectively rather than alone
thingummy
vsgubbins
  • Informal
9.9

A word for a person or thing whose name you cannot remember

is more often for small miscellaneous objects than for people
dojigger
vsgubbins
  • Informal
9.9

A small object used when you do not know its name

can also mean a loose group of small unnamed objects together
whatchamacallum
vsgubbins
  • UK
9.9

A word for something whose name you cannot remember

differs by also covering a mixed set of small unnamed items
gismo
vsgubbins
  • UK
8.5

A small device you do not know the name of

extends to miscellaneous small objects or a group of such items

Antonyms

2.0

Things like money or jewellery that are worth a lot to someone

How Useful

tool
1.1
gadget
142 2.9
gubbins
  • UK
9.9
knickknack
16 4.2
scrap
179 2.1

Surface Forms

gubbins singular
gubbinses plural

Etymology

Gubbins probably began as a British slang word for a small part or lump, used by workers and sailors for spare parts. A helpful way to remember it is to imagine a drawer of odd tools and pieces, because today gubbins means 'bits and pieces' or small, unimportant objects.