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DEFINITION

A word or an image that is used instead of the actual name or image of a person or thing that probably has a more specific name or image. The person or thing may simply not have been named yet or its name has been forgotten, or there is some other reason to provide a substitute, as there is for a euphemism. Placeholder words include: artifact, deelybob, deelybobber, device, doodad, doohicky, framisater-frezahmerator, gadget, gizmo, hoozywhat, item, object, stuff, thingamabob, thingamajig, thingy, whatchamacallit, whatchamajigger, what's-it, and widget. Such words are also known in Britain as cadigans, and by William Safire (contemporary American writer) as tongue-tippers. In the visual arts, such words are often used for materials, tools, or parts that one doesn't presently have a remembered or more specific word for. Works of art for which we do not have titles are often called Untitled. In graphic design, placeholding "lorem ipsum . . . ", sometimes called greeking, because of the antique appearance of the text traditionally used. A placeholding image is sometimes displayed to show where an image will or would normally appear.Example placeholder images:Also see censorship, lacuna, mannequin, and model.