widget

Etymology 1

Coined by American playwright George S. Kaufman in 1924 in his play Beggar on Horseback (1924).

noun

1. A placeholder name for an unnamed, unspecified, or hypothetical manufactured good or product, typically as an example for purposes of explaining concepts.
   Suppose we have a widget factory that produces 100 units per year...
   Damage inflicted on the rail industry supply chain, from major contractors to widget manufacturers, would have further profound nationwide consequences on an already damaged industry and wrecked economy. August 12 2020, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Rail at the brink? Not yet...”, in Rail, page 3
2. A floating device inside a beer can, meant to create foam when opened.
3. A small scraping tool consisting of a blade and a handle, commonly used to remove paint from glass and other smooth surfaces.
4. (informal) Synonym of tool, implement, device, gadget, part

Etymology 2

Blend of window + gadget

noun

1. (graphical user interface) Any one of the components of a computer application's graphical user interface, such as a Cancel button or text input box that a user interacts with.
2. (graphical user interface) A small applet that can be placed on the desktop or in a sidebar, etc.