Definition of "catchall" [catchall]

• A receptacle or storage area for odds and ends. (noun)
• Something that encompasses a wide variety of items or situations: a word that serves as a catchall for a bewildering array of computer accessories. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "On January 22nd, an executive order was issued which would for the first time establish a so-called catchall export control regime that would deal with any civil or military high tech products that could be diverted for end use."
• "This is a shallow 'catchall' phrase, not unlike that used by John MacCain on the campaign trail who portrays the insurgency (or multiple insurgencies) in Iraq as that of Al Qaeda."
• ""The [federal] omnibus clause is a 'catchall' provision, which is broadly construed to include a wide variety of corrupt methods.""