Word of the Day Archive
Wednesday July 7, 2010
gizmo \GIZ-moh\
, noun:
A mechanical device or part whose name is forgotten or unknown; a gadget.
Perhaps mindful that the machines might not swing, Metheny began with the gizmos turned off, employing an acoustic guitar for dark, Spanish-tinged tunes.
-- Karl Stark, "Metheny's gizmo sidemen a bit flat", Philadephia Inquirer
Why did we have to wait until the end of the twentieth century for this gizmo to see the light of day?
-- Paul Auster, Timbuktu
Gizmo was originally 1940s U.S. Navy and Marine Corps slang, whose source is unknown.
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for gizmo
