contraption
[ kuhn-trap-shuhn ]
/ kənˈtræp ʃən /
noun Informal.
a mechanical contrivance; gadget; device.
QUIZZES
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We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of contraption
OTHER WORDS FROM contraption
con·trap·tious, adjectiveWords nearby contraption
contraplete, contrapose, contraposition, contrapositive, contrapposto, contraption, contrapuntal, contrapuntist, contrarian, contrariety, contrarily
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for contraption
British Dictionary definitions for contraption
contraption
/ (kənˈtræpʃən) /
noun
informal, often facetious, or derogatory a device or contrivance, esp one considered strange, unnecessarily intricate, or improvised
Word Origin for contraption
C19: perhaps from con (trivance) + trap 1 + (inven) tion
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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