English
Etymology
See etymology of "to contrive".
Noun
en-noun
- a (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- a means, such as an elaborate plan or strategy, to accomplish a certain objective
#* 2005, w:Plato|Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. w:Stephanus pagination|266b.
#*: And along with each of these go their images, not the things themselves, � they too have come about by godlike contrivance.
- something overly artful or artificial
Translations
German: Vorrichtung f (1)
Portuguese: t-|pt|artifÃcio|m
Usage notes
See usage note at device.
Derived terms
contrive
io:contrivance
ru:contrivance
fi:contrivance
te:contrivance
vi:contrivance
zh:contrivance
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