whatnot

1 of 2

pronoun

what·​not
ˈ(h)wät-ˌnät,
ˈ(h)wət- How to pronounce whatnot (audio)
: any of various other things that might also be mentioned
paper clips, pins, and whatnot

whatnot

2 of 2

noun

1
: a nondescript person or thing
2
: a light open set of shelves for bric-a-brac

Examples of whatnot in a Sentence

Pronoun You can use the container to hold paper clips, pins, and whatnot. the drawer is full of spare pens, paper clips, stray elastics and whatnot Noun the store sells an array of whatnots for the do-it-yourself plumber
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
There isn’t even an attempt to engage with Marie’s heightened perception of the world, with even the few careful sound design choices getting blasted out by bombs and whatnot. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2023 All of my prior entrepreneurial endeavors and startups and whatnot, were in different forms of tech, whether media or data or enterprise software. Fortune Editors, Fortune, 16 Aug. 2023 People weren’t matching up their sneakers to their outfits and whatnot, pre Hip Hop. Okla Jones, Essence, 14 Aug. 2023 She's done well, she's occupied the center-backs, she's dragged and pulled players out and whatnot. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 1 Aug. 2023 This heartbreaking image from Ukraine is a wakeup call; free press is essential to freedom Meanwhile, across the way is another camp where rich kids go to learn about hedge funds and whatnot. Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 17 July 2023 The finer pinch of this body trimmer is more delicate around the pits, groin, and whatnot. Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 29 June 2023 There were people who were uncomfortable with a Gucci Mane at the Tiny Desk, given his history and whatnot. Okla Jones, Essence, 18 June 2023 Lagat, Solinsky, Ritzenhein, Chelimo—all these guys had won NCAA titles and whatnot. Sarah Barker, Outside Online, 14 Sep. 2019 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whatnot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Pronoun

what not?

First Known Use

Pronoun

1540, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of whatnot was in 1540

Dictionary Entries Near whatnot

Cite this Entry

“Whatnot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whatnot. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

whatnot

1 of 2 pronoun
what·​not ˈhwät-ˌnät How to pronounce whatnot (audio)
ˈhwət-,
ˈwät-,
ˈwət-
: any of various other things that might also be mentioned
hummingbirds and hawks and owls and whatnot

whatnot

2 of 2 noun
: a light open set of shelves

More from Merriam-Webster on whatnot

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!