bidules

Bidules is a French noun meaning an unspecified object or gadget. In everyday usage, bidule or bidules refers to things whose precise name is unknown, forgotten, or deliberately left unspecified. The term carries a casual, humorous tone and is often used as a placeholder for items ranging from small tools to contraptions.

Origin and meaning: The exact etymology of bidule is uncertain. It is a generic, diminutive-sounding word form that has become a standard part of colloquial French. The singular bidule and its plural bidules are used across informal registers to stand in for a thing without naming it.

Usage: In French, a speaker might say, "Passe-moi ce bidule" to mean "Pass me that gadget." In technical or instructional writing, bidule can function as a placeholder term in examples or mock-ups, though in formal contexts other, more precise terms are preferred. In English-language texts, bidules appear mainly in humor, translation notes, or discussions of French slang.

See also: gadget, doohickey, gizmo, widget, bidule (singular).