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device

[dih-vahys]
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noun

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RELATED WORDS

gear, apparatus, gadget, material, appliance, mechanism, accessory, machine, equipment, design, method, strategy, creation, agent, invention, gimmick, arrangement, rigging, makeshift, resort

Nearby words

  1. deviate,
  2. deviation,
  3. deviationism,
  4. deviatory,
  5. devic's disease,
  6. devil,
  7. devil and deep blue sea,
  8. devil dog,
  9. devil of a,
  10. devil ray

Origin of device

1375–1425; blend of late Middle English devis division, discourse and devise heraldic device, will; both < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin dīvīsa, feminine of dīvīsus; see division
Related formsde·vice·ful, adjectivede·vice·ful·ly, adverbde·vice·ful·ness, noun
Can be confuseddevice devise
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for device

British Dictionary definitions for device

device

noun

a machine or tool used for a specific task; contrivance
euphemistic a bomb
a plan or plot, esp a clever or evil one; scheme; trick
any ornamental pattern or picture, as in embroidery
computer hardware that is designed for a specific function
a written, printed, or painted design or figure, used as a heraldic sign, emblem, trademark, etc
a particular pattern of words, figures of speech, etc, used in literature to produce an effect on the reader
archaic the act or process of planning or devising
leave someone to his own devices to leave someone alone to do as he wishes

Word Origin for device

C13: from Old French devis purpose, contrivance and devise difference, intention, from deviser to divide, control; see devise
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for device

device

n.

late 13c., from Old French devis "division, separation, disposition, wish, desire; coat of arms, emblem; last will," from deviser "to divide, distribute" (see devise). Sense of "method by which something is divided" arose in French and led to modern meaning.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for device

device

[dĭ-vīs′]

n.

A contrivance or an invention serving a particular purpose, especially a machine used to perform one or more relatively simple tasks.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Idioms and Phrases with device

device

see leave to someone's own devices.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.