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

That in mind, some brands have started to pivot their video-centric strategies by adding products to platforms like Flip or by adding video widgets to their own sites to aid consumers with product discovery. —Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 9 July 2024

Live tiles now widgets Microsoft’s attempts to get everyone using live tiles in previous versions going back to Windows 8 have been converted to something more people are familiar with because of smartphones: widgets. —Ken Colburn, The Arizona Republic, 7 July 2024

Military power is more about people and organizations than widgets or tools. —Michael C. Horowitz, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022

The 43-inch display nearly spans the width of the dashboard and includes widgets for media, cabin controls, and weather. —Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 26 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of gadget

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined at sense 1