Widget

noun
1.
a small mechanical device, as a knob or switch, especially one whose name is not known or cannot be recalled; gadget:
a row of widgets on the instrument panel.
2.
something considered typical or representative, as of a manufacturer’s products:
the widgets coming off the assembly line.
noun
1.
(informal) any small mechanism or device, the name of which is unknown or temporarily forgotten
2.
a small device in a beer can which, when the can is opened, releases nitrogen gas into the beer, giving it a head
3.
a small computer program that can be installed on and executed from the desktop of a personal computer
noun

an element of a graphical user interface such as a button or scroll bar; also, a module of software for a personalized Web page
Examples

The widget allows you to have “things to be happy about” on your Web site.
Word Origin

1987
wide open

1. A meta-thing. Used to stand for a real object in didactic examples (especially database tutorials). Legend has it that the original widgets were holders for buggy whips. “But suppose the parts list for a widget has 52 entries…”
2. [possibly evoking “window gadget”] In graphical user interfaces, a combination of a graphic symbol and some program code to perform a specific function. E.g. a scroll-bar or button. Windowing systems usually provide widget libraries containing commonly used widgets drawn in a certain style and with consistent behaviour.
[Jargon File]