widget
Pronunciation: /ˈwɪd͡ʒ.ɪt/
The English word “widget” has 6 meanings listed here.
noun
- A placeholder name for an unnamed, unspecified, or hypothetical manufactured good or product, typically as an example for purposes of explaining concepts.
- A floating device inside a beer can, meant to create foam when opened.
- A small scraping tool consisting of a blade and a handle, commonly used to remove paint from glass and other smooth surfaces.
- Synonym of tool, implement, device, gadget, part.
- 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.
- A small applet that can be placed on the desktop or in a sidebar, etc.
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.
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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.