contraption
Americannoun
-
contraptions
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of contraption
First recorded in 1815–25; perhaps contr(ivance) + (ad)aption, variant of adaptation
Explanation
A contraption is a device that has a specific purpose and is often overly complicated. If your dad yells, “Get that contraption out of here!” He doesn’t appreciate the Rube Goldberg machine you made out of his golf clubs. The word is English, all right, but how it got here is a mystery. It may be from a combination of contrive and adaptation. Contraptions — also called gadgets or gizmos — are devices people make for various purposes. Often, this word is used when someone isn't quite sure what something is, as in "What's that contraption?" Oh that’s just a dog-walking machine made of a roller skate, bacon, and four paper clips.
Vocabulary lists containing contraption
"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury
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Chains
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Fast Food Nation
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He declines to share details but the contraption will make square pan-style pies and that the machine is inspired by the way 3D printers work.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
That could include an elaborate Lego contraption, robotics or a self-programmed way to turn off the lights and close the curtains, Magill added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
ROMONT, Switzerland—Willy Wonka would have marveled at one of the machines at a manufacturing plant here—a contraption that injects flavors into coffee capsules via a set of whirring tubes labeled “hazelnut,” “caramel,” and “blueberry cheesecake.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
The machine that X-rayed her breast was more comfortable than the cold hard contraption she remembered.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
Alice and I sat on the bank leisurely watching as the contraption went up and down, up and down, turning acorns into flour.
From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
Next, an interior shot, sweeping across a gleaming white room occupied by sleek screens and glass-domed beds, space-age Sleeping Beauty contraptions.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
Unlike Look Mum No Computer, who is best known for a YouTube channel where he builds eccentric contraptions, Dara is a major pop star in her home country.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
After gathering at the supper table to dine and talk about their days, parents and children moved into the den to be entertained by the novel contraptions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
Race cars and blockbuster movies have a core thing in common: They’re expensive contraptions made by teams who are painfully aware that they can fine-tune everything and still crash.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2025
“We have survived this long without electric cool and I have no intentions of setting one of those tacky contraptions in my window.”
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
