doover: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1-C2Informal, colloquial, humorous
Quick answer
What does “doover” mean?
(Australian & New Zealand, informal) A thing, especially one whose proper name is unknown, forgotten, or unspecified.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
(Australian & New Zealand, informal) A thing, especially one whose proper name is unknown, forgotten, or unspecified; a gadget, object, or event. Often used as a placeholder name.
Can refer to a social gathering or party, a decorative or functional item, or an unspecified action or task. In business jargon, sometimes used humorously for a product or project.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Not standard in either British or American English. It is primarily an Australasian (Australian and New Zealand) colloquialism. British speakers might use 'thingummyjig' or 'whatsit'; Americans might use 'thingamajig', 'doohickey', or 'gizmo'.
Connotations
In its native context, it conveys a casual, friendly, often humorous tone. If used by a non-Australasian, it might be seen as an attempt to adopt that dialect.
Frequency
Very high frequency in informal Australian/New Zealand speech; virtually zero frequency in standard British or American English.
Grammar
How to Use “doover” in a Sentence
Have a + [adj] + dooverPass me the + [adj] + dooverIt's one of those + [descriptive clause] + dooversVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. May be used jokingly in internal meetings to refer to an unnamed prototype or project component: 'We need to finalise the specs for the new marketing doover.'
Academic
Not used.
Everyday
Common in Australasia for referring to any unnamed object or event: 'The wedding was a lovely doover.' 'This doover connects to the other doover.'
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “doover”
- Using it in formal writing.
- Using it outside Australasian contexts and expecting to be understood.
- Spelling it as 'do-over' (which is an American term for a second attempt).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The American term 'do-over' (with a hyphen) means a second attempt or chance to do something. The Australasian 'doover' (usually one word) is a placeholder name for a thing or event.
Absolutely not. It is strictly an informal, colloquial term specific to certain dialects.
It is primarily used as a countable noun (e.g., 'a doover', 'two doovers').
It is pronounced DOO-ver, with the stress on the first syllable, rhyming with 'mover'.
(Australian & New Zealand, informal) A thing, especially one whose proper name is unknown, forgotten, or unspecified.
Doover is usually informal, colloquial, humorous in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's not the end of the world; it's just a doover.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine DOing OVER a task with a strange tool you can't name – you just call it a 'doover'.
Conceptual Metaphor
AN ABSTRACT ENTITY IS A PHYSICAL TOOL/OBJECT (when referring to a task or event). A TOOL/OBJECT IS A PLACEHOLDER (when the name is unknown).
Practice
Quiz
In which variety of English is 'doover' a common informal word for an unspecified thing?