WIDGET

appliance, contraption, contrivance, convenience, gadget, gizmo, gismo, widget

(noun) a device or control that is very useful for a particular job

doodad, doohickey, doojigger, gimmick, gizmo, gismo, gubbins, thingamabob, thingumabob, thingmabob, thingamajig, thingumajig, thingmajig, thingummy, whatchamacallit, whatchamacallum, whatsis, widget

(noun) something unspecified whose name is either forgotten or not known; “she eased the ball-shaped doodad back into its socket”; “there may be some great new gizmo around the corner that you will want to use”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology 1

Noun

widget (plural widgets)

A placeholder name for an unnamed, unspecified, or hypothetical manufactured good or product.

(computing) Portable code that can be easily installed and executed by an end user.

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.

Synonyms

• (unspecified manufactured good): thingy, gizmo, sprocket; see also thingy

• (scraping tool): scraper

Etymology 2

Noun

widget (plural widgets)

(computing, graphical user interface) 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.