widget

noun

wid·​get ˈwi-jət 

1

: gadget

2

: an unnamed article considered for purposes of hypothetical example

3

: a small software application that is designed to provide a specific piece of information (such as news, weather, or traffic updates) or a specific function (such as taking notes or controlling another application) on demand

This resource allows anglers to see what advisories are in effect in specific waterways … . The web page is optimized for mobile devices, with a widget that allows users to zoom to their exact location on the map with the press of a button.

—Chris Knauss

A widget might show you the weather forecast, or the latest baseball scores. There are widgets that show photographs you've stored online, or that cull images from the Daily Puppy Web site.

—Rob Walker

Synonyms

• appliance
• contraption
• contrivance
• gadget
• gimmick
• gizmo
• gismo
• jigger

Examples of widget in a Sentence

manufacturers of all kinds of widgets for the do-it-yourselfer

Recent Examples on the Web

Oakland County is stepping up efforts to give local businesses training and access to industrial-grade 3D printing machines, and the equipment's latest batch of widgets and parts are ready to be shown off. —Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 11 Sep. 2024

Drivers can select up to three ancillary widgets to display on the passenger side such as weather and media information. —Sam Abuelsamid, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2024

Well, there are about a trillion guides for which widget will make an imperceptible improvement to your hike. —Wes Siler, Outside Online, 14 Aug. 2024

This may be an app issue, but there is a Pocket Cast widget for the main display. —Rudie Obias, Variety, 1 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of gadget

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined at sense 1