device
Americannoun
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devices
plural
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a thing made for a particular purpose; an invention or contrivance, especially a mechanical or electrical one.
- Synonyms:
- gadget
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a plan or scheme for effecting a purpose.
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a crafty scheme; trick.
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a particular word pattern, figure of speech, combination of word sounds, etc., used in a literary work to evoke a desired effect or arouse a desired reaction in the reader.
rhetorical devices.
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Students may not bring devices into the secure testing center.
Don't leave your devices in a hot car.
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something elaborately or fancifully designed.
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a representation or design used as a heraldic charge or as an emblem, badge, trademark, or the like.
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a motto.
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Archaic. devising; invention.
noun
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a machine or tool used for a specific task; contrivance
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euphemistic a bomb
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a plan or plot, esp a clever or evil one; scheme; trick
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any ornamental pattern or picture, as in embroidery
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computer hardware that is designed for a specific function
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a written, printed, or painted design or figure, used as a heraldic sign, emblem, trademark, etc
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a particular pattern of words, figures of speech, etc, used in literature to produce an effect on the reader
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archaic the act or process of planning or devising
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to leave someone alone to do as he wishes
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of device
First recorded in 1375–1425; blend of late Middle English devis “discourse, division” and devise “heraldic device, will,” both from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin dīvīsa, feminine of dīvīsus “divided, separated”; see divisible
Explanation
A device is really anything that has a specific use. It might be a tool or object, or a plan that is devised to accomplish something. If it has a purpose, it is a device. A device is a noun that can be used to describe anything, simple or complex, that is used for a specific purpose. You might have one device for opening bottles, and another for opening cans. You probably even have a device for turning on your TV. While these have specific names (bottle opener, can opener, remote), you can cover each with the generic term device. We can see its root in the Old French word devis, which meant “purpose” or “contrivance.”
Vocabulary lists containing device
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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The Ingenious Lexicon of Invention
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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:
Officials from the Montrose Search and Rescue reminded hikers to carry a satellite emergency communication device or other GPS messenger capable of sending their exact location.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Its first consumer device is expected to be screenless and unobtrusive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Their results bring high-performance sodium-ion energy storage closer to practical use and hint at a future in which one device could both store clean energy and help turn seawater into fresh water.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
Travellers attempting to buy tickets using the old app were prompted to visit the app store on their Apple or Android device to download the new version.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
They liked Copernicanism as a mathematical device; they had no time for it as scientific truth.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Unlike many recyclers, which melt electronic waste in bulk, the Royal Mint dismantles devices first.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
Detectives found multiple notebooks containing “concerning statements” and two radio signal devices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Last year, OpenAI acquired a startup co-founded by former Apple design guru Jony Ive, and Ive and company executives including Chief Executive Sam Altman discussed plans to produce a family of AI devices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Both likewise pointed to mounting costs for the hardware and storage components needed to power their devices.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
“Joe, don’t you have any more electronic devices to fool them with?”
From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Definitions 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.
