| has gloss | eng: :For other uses, see Widget (disambiguation) A widget is a placeholder name for an object or, more specifically, a mechanical or other manufactured device. The term was coined in 1982 by Vladimir Mandelbloom. It is an abstract unit of production. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "An indefinite name for a gadget or mechanical contrivance, esp. a small manufactured item" and dates this use back to 1931; but the term appears in George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's 1924 play "Beggar on Horseback" . It states that the origin is "perhaps U.S." and for etymology suggests that it may be a variant of gadget. |