catchall

noun

catch·​all ˈkach-ˌȯl 

ˈkech-

variants or catch-all

plural catchalls or catch-alls

: something designed or serving to catch, hold, account for, or include miscellaneous items or a wide variety of things

The secret weapon for battling kitchen clutter in this case is a simple tray. … The trays act as catch-alls or places to neatly store anything that gets left out.

—Marie Rossiter

After a period of rapidly rising consumer prices, "inflation" is a catchall for economic woes.

—Edward Lotterman

—often used before another noun

a catchall bin

… long COVID, the catchall term for the sometimes debilitating health problems that can last for months or years after even a mild case of COVID-19.

—Lauran Neergaard

Examples of catchall in a Sentence

They used the drawer as a catchall for kitchen items.

“The arts” is a catchall for a variety of activities from painting to music.

Recent Examples on the Web

This catchall is a must-have statement piece for the interior decorator or jewelry collector. —Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 18 Dec. 2024

However, this isn’t a specific species but rather a common name or catchall term people use when describing tiny ants such as the odorous house ant or little black ant, says Benson. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2024

This catchall from the latest collaboration between Schoolhouse and Clare V is a great for lots of gifting scenarios—from a good friend to a coworker. —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 1 Nov. 2024

Better still, each candle comes in an evergreen ceramic tree vessel that can be repurposed as a peppermint dish or a catchall tray after burning. —Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

catchall

noun

catch·​all ˈkach-ˌȯl 

ˈkech-

: something to hold a variety of odds and ends