dingus
noun
din·gus
ˈdiŋ-(g)əs 
plural dinguses
1
informal
: an often small article whose common name is unknown or forgotten : gadget, doodad sense 2
In his [Dashiell Hammett's] writings of the period from 1924 to 1952, "dingus" signifies, variously, a magician's prop, a typewriter, a short story, a novel, and an elusive artifact, a black bird better known as the Maltese Falcon.—
Mark McGurl
Mark McGurl… the boy was decked out in a fancy uniform with silver buttons and a cap with a dingus on the top.—Sholem Aleichem
Sholem Aleichem2
US slang
: a dim-witted, silly, or foolish person
—often used in a joking or friendly way
By most accounts, [Hunter] Strickland is actually a sweet feller. Respected by his teammates, nice to the fans, et cetera. But he sure is a dingus on the mound sometimes.—Grant Brisbee
Grant BrisbeeThink back to when you were 17 and how much of a dingus you could be …—Pacific Takes
Pacific TakesSynonyms
Examples of dingus in a Sentence
it seems to be missing some little dingus that holds everything in place
Recent Examples on the Web
The turn that even the most regal of short kings would be promptly discarded for any dingus who looks like Jacob Elordi is the episode’s most successful use of the actor’s appearance as a plot point.
—Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2024
Almost all are some form of dingus.
—Dan Carson, Chron, 16 Apr. 2021
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Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2024
Almost all are some form of dingus.
—Dan Carson, Chron, 16 Apr. 2021
Dictionary Entries Near dingus
Cite this Entry
“Dingus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dingus. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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