# dingus

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈdɪŋɡəs/ · frequency rank #68,998

## Definitions
1. A gadget, device, or object whose name is either unknown, forgotten, or omitted for the purpose of humor.
2. A foolish, incompetent, or silly person.
3. The penis.

## Etymology
Probably of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from Dutch dinges (“thingamajig, thingy; whatshisname, whatshername”), ding (“thing”). Probably also partly a borrowing from Afrikaans in view of its South African occurrence. The spelling dingus is remodeled to look like a Latin word ending in -us.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/dingus