From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfor want of a better word/phrase etcfor want of a better word/phrase etcused to say that you cannot find an exact word or phrase to describe something They should behave, for want of a better word, decently. → want
Examples from the Corpus
for want of a better word/phrase etc• Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.• Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word. 