Dictionary

device en · NOUN

Pronunciation

/dɪˈvaɪs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
/dɪˈvaɪs/ (Canada, General-American)
/dɪˈvɑɪs/ (Australia)
/dəˈvaɪs/ weak vowel merger
(US) audio
[dɪˈvʌɪs] Canadian raising

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ ▲ Proto-Indo-European *trísinflu. Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *h₁weydʰh₁-der. Proto-Italic *wiðō Latin *vidō Latin dīvidō Latin dīvīsus Old French devisbor. Middle English devis English device From Middle English devis, devise, devyce, devys, devyse, from Old French devis and devise, from Latin dīvīsus, past participle of dīvidō (“to divide”). Doublet of devise (noun).

Meanings

Any piece of equipment made for a particular purpose, especially a mechanical or electrical one.
- Near-synonyms: equipment, tool, machine
- An artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic the way real kidneys cleanse blood and eject impurities and surplus water as urine. 2013 June 1, “A better waterworks”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 5 (Technology Quarterly):
- 1949. Geneva Convention on Road Traffic Chapter VI. Provisions Applicable to Cycles in International Traffic Every cycle shall be equipped with: … (b) an audible warning device consisting of a bell …
A peripheral device; an item of hardware.
A project or scheme, often designed to deceive; a stratagem; an artifice. 1602, Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor. "This is our device,/ That Falstaff at that oak shall meet with us."
- So next day the hunting began. I did not know how to shoot, but I proceeded to learn. And when I had expended some thirty shells for three seals, I decided that the ammunition would be exhausted before I acquired the necessary knowledge. I had used eight shells for lighting fires before I hit upon the device of banking the embers with wet moss, and there remained not over a hundred shells in the box. 1904, Jack London, chapter 30, in The Sea-Wolf (Macmillan’s Standard Library), New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, →OCLC:
- Their recent device of demanding benevolences. 1827, Henry Hallam, The English Constitution, Harper:
- FOR a month Tarzan was a regular and very welcome devotee at the shrine of the beautiful Countess de Coude. […] More often Olga found devices that would give her an hour of Tarzan alone. 1913 June–December, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Plot That Failed”, in The Return of Tarzan, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, […], published March 1915, →OCLC, page 58:
- Drawings and pictures are more than mere ornaments in scientific discourse. Blackboard sketches, geological maps, diagrams of molecular structure, astronomical photographs, MRI images, the many varieties of statistical charts and graphs: These pictorial devices are indispensable tools for presenting evidence, for explaining a theory, for telling a story. 2012 March 14, Brian Hayes, “Pixels or Perish”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 19 Feb 2013, page 106:
- He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 5:12:
- His device is against Babylon, to destroy it. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Jeremiah 51:11:
(Ireland) An improvised explosive device, home-made bomb
- THE ARMY BOMB Disposal Team rendered safe a viable device in Cavan this afternoon. 2014 September 3, Cliodhna Russell, “A viable device was found in Cavan today, it has now been made safe”, in The Journal:
- The army bomb squad carried out two controlled explosions on the device. It was later found that the suspect device was a hoax and not a viable explosive. 2014 August 3, Louise Kelly, Conor Feehan, “Suspect device found at shopping centre revealed as hoax”, in Irish Independent:
- Inflammable material is planted in my head / It's a suspect device that's left 2000 dead 1979, Stiff Little Fingers, Suspect Device:
(rhetoric) A technique that an author or speaker uses to evoke an emotional response in the audience; a rhetorical device.
- 1736. O'Callaghan, Edmund Bailey. The Documentary History of the State of New York Chapter I, Article III: Enumeration of the Indian Tribes. The devices of these savages are the serpent, the Deer, and the Small Acorn.
(rhetoric) A technique that an author or speaker uses to evoke an emotional response in the audience; a rhetorical device. (heraldry) A motto, emblem, or other mark used to distinguish the bearer from others. A device differs from a badge or cognizance primarily as it is a personal distinction, and not a badge borne by members of the same house successively. ▸ A motto, emblem, or other mark used to distinguish the bearer from others. A device differs from a badge or cognizance primarily as it is a personal distinction, and not a badge borne by members of the same house successively.
(archaic) Power of devising; invention; contrivance.
- And she said, "We are all prisoners here, Of our own device" 1976, The Eagles, Hotel California:
- I want to (I must) tell a story of a revelation in my life. His name is Vernon. We have known each other for 17 years, yet we are presently separated through no device of our own making. 1986 February 1, James E. Lewis, “Love In The Worst Of Times”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 28, page 5:
- Moreover I must have instruments of mine own device, weighty, and exceeding costly 1824, Walter Savage Landor, “King Henry IV and Sir Arnold Savage”, in Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen, page 44:
An image used in whole or in part as a trademark or service mark.
An image or logo denoting official or proprietary authority or provenience.
- Prior to the issuance of the first stamps, letters accepted by postmasters for dispatch were marked "Paid" by means of pen and ink or hand stamps of various designs. … To facilitate the handling of mail matter, some postmasters provided special stamps or devices for use on letters as evidence of the prepayment of postage. 1943 United States Post Office Department. A Description of United States Postage Stamps / Issued by the Post Office Department from July 1, 1847, to April 1, 1945 [sic], USGPO, Washington, p1
(qualifier:crosswording) Any specific class of wordplay element in a cryptic crossword.
- These eight devices, and combinations thereof, account for nearly every kind of wordplay you will encounter in cryptic crosswords. 2001 06, Fraser Simpson, 101 Cryptic Crosswords: From the New Yorker, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., →ISBN, page 6:
- As with all varieties of cryptic clues, the container device can be used in conjunction with other devices, especially in more complex cryptic crosswords. 2020 March 30, Denise Sutherland, Solving Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 48:
- Discovering these variants is much of the fun. All the devices can be combined and twisted to produce surface readings in each clue which point you in the wrong direction. 2013 November 7, Alan Connor, Two Girls, One on Each Knee: The Puzzling, Playful World of the Crossword, Penguin UK, →ISBN:
(obsolete) A spectacle or show.
- It will be out of faſhion to weare ſwords, / Maſques, and devices welcome, I ſalute you […] c. 1634, James Shirley (falsely attributed to John Fletcher), The Coronation:
(obsolete) Opinion; decision.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
devices	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Synonyms

contrivance (power of devising) · machine · contrivance (piece of equipment) · appliance (piece of equipment) · gadget (piece of equipment) · apparatus (piece of equipment) · artifice (project or scheme) · invention (power of devising) · device · equipment (piece of equipment) · tool · equipment · project (project or scheme) · design (piece of equipment) · scheme (project or scheme) · stratagem (project or scheme)

Translations (241)

az aparat (piece of equipment) · id peranti (piece of equipment) · sv redskap (piece of equipment) · ru план (project, stratagem, artifice) · nn innretning (piece of equipment) · fa-ira اَبْزارَک (piece of equipment) · pt aparato (piece of equipment) · ru зате́я (project, stratagem, artifice) · be прыбо́р (piece of equipment) · sh apàrāt (piece of equipment) · be прыла́да (piece of equipment) · vi dụng cụ (piece of equipment) · ru аппара́т (piece of equipment) · ka მექანიზმი (piece of equipment) · pl urządzenie (piece of equipment) · de Vorrichtung (piece of equipment) · sh у̏ређа̄ј (piece of equipment) · tr cihaz (piece of equipment) · ru эмбле́ма (law: image used in whole or part as a trademark or service mark) · nb innretning (piece of equipment) · sl naprava (piece of equipment) · bg приспособле́ние (piece of equipment) · fi kone (piece of equipment) · ar آلَة (piece of equipment) · bg апара́т (piece of equipment) · yue 裝置 /装置 (piece of equipment) · de Hilfsmittel (project, stratagem, artifice) · lt aparatas (piece of equipment) · sh апа̀ра̄т (piece of equipment) · el έμβλημα (law: image used in whole or part as a trademark or service mark) · ro dispozitiv (piece of equipment) · nl toestel (piece of equipment) · mt apparat (piece of equipment) · de Instrument (piece of equipment) · gl trangallo (piece of equipment) · sv devis (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · ru дева́йс (piece of equipment) · ru деви́з (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · he מַכְשִׁיר (piece of equipment) · sq aparat (piece of equipment) · tg абзорак (piece of equipment) · be прыстасава́нне (piece of equipment) · da indretning (piece of equipment) · ota نشان (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · da list (project, stratagem, artifice) · ru прибо́р (piece of equipment) · it dispositivo (piece of equipment) · bn যন্ত্র (piece of equipment) · sq vegël (piece of equipment) · et seade (piece of equipment) · fr appareil (piece of equipment) · fr artifice (project, stratagem, artifice) · kk аппарат (piece of equipment) · lo ຍົນ (piece of equipment) · hi यंत्र (piece of equipment) · es mecanismo (piece of equipment) · crh alet (piece of equipment) · fa-ira اَفْزارِه (piece of equipment) · tl pakasam (piece of equipment) · et aparaat (piece of equipment) · ota حیله (project, stratagem, artifice) · mi nuka (project, stratagem, artifice) · eo aparato (piece of equipment) · jv ꦥꦶꦫꦤ꧀ꦠꦶ (piece of equipment) · jv ꦥꦼꦂꦏꦏꦱ꧀ (piece of equipment) · sv husgeråd (piece of equipment) · ajp آلة (piece of equipment) · de Baustein (piece of equipment) · gl aparello (piece of equipment) · tg олат (piece of equipment) · da anordning (piece of equipment) · tg аппарат (piece of equipment) · ota علامت (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · ru приспособле́ние (piece of equipment) · az cihaz (piece of equipment) · fi tunnuslause (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · ms peranti (piece of equipment) · cs zařízení (piece of equipment) · sh на̀ум (project, stratagem, artifice) · tk apparat (piece of equipment) · mww tshuab (piece of equipment) · fi tunnus (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · az şüar (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · ka აპარატი (piece of equipment) · da plan (project, stratagem, artifice) · da påfund (project, stratagem, artifice) · ro unitate (componentă) (piece of equipment) · tg дастгоҳ (piece of equipment) · tr alet (piece of equipment) · el συσκευή (piece of equipment) · grc μηχανή (piece of equipment) · it congegno (piece of equipment) · sv plan (project, stratagem, artifice) · ro piesă (piece of equipment) · es dispositivo (piece of equipment) · my ယန္တရား (piece of equipment) · gl trebello (piece of equipment) · tk enjam (piece of equipment) · uz qurilma (piece of equipment) · hu gépezet (piece of equipment) · ms alat (piece of equipment) · it apparecchio (piece of equipment) · ky түзмөк (piece of equipment) · ar جِهَاز (piece of equipment) · uk пристрі́й (piece of equipment) · af toestel (piece of equipment) · fi väline (project, stratagem, artifice) · km គ្រឿង (piece of equipment) · hi युक्ति (piece of equipment) · de Gerät (piece of equipment) · is tæki (piece of equipment) · ca mecanisme (piece of equipment) · pl aparat (piece of equipment) · bg устро́йство (piece of equipment) · de Einrichtung (piece of equipment) · fr ruse (project, stratagem, artifice) · bg план (project, stratagem, artifice) · gsw Gräät (piece of equipment) · fr manœuvre (project, stratagem, artifice) · ru устро́йство (piece of equipment) · uk апара́т (piece of equipment) · de Emblem (law: image used in whole or part as a trademark or service mark) · pt aparelho (piece of equipment) · de Einrichtung (project, stratagem, artifice) · da valgsprog (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · bg деви́з (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · mn хэрэглүүр (piece of equipment) · th ยนต์ (piece of equipment) · ba ҡоролма (piece of equipment) · da bombe (improvised explosive device) · da devise (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · fr dispositif (piece of equipment) · th เครื่อง (piece of equipment) · fi tunnuskuvio (emblem) (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · ca dispositiu (piece of equipment) · hi उपकरण (piece of equipment) · hu készülék (piece of equipment) · it emblema (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · tr aygıt (piece of equipment) · kk құрылғы (piece of equipment) · lt įranga (piece of equipment) · ko 디바이스 (piece of equipment) · hy սարքավորում (piece of equipment) · ro aparat (piece of equipment) · be апара́т (piece of equipment) · ur آلَہ (piece of equipment) · eo intrigo (project, stratagem, artifice) · nl apparaat (piece of equipment) · lv ierīce (piece of equipment) · uz apparat (piece of equipment) · it coccarda (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · ja デバイス (piece of equipment) · de Hilfsmittel (piece of equipment) · ru механи́зм (piece of equipment) · crh tertibat (piece of equipment) · fa-ira آلَت (piece of equipment) · mn аппарат (piece of equipment) · ru эмбле́ма (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · th เครื่องมือ (piece of equipment) · de Instrument (project, stratagem, artifice) · sh nàum (project, stratagem, artifice) · ga gléas (piece of equipment) · it artificio (project, stratagem, artifice) · de Devise (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · ru ма́рка (law: image used in whole or part as a trademark or service mark) · ru прое́кт (project, stratagem, artifice) · it periferica (piece of equipment) · fa-ira دَسْتْگاه (piece of equipment) · da apparat (piece of equipment) · he הֶתקֵן (piece of equipment) · de Motto (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · dsb rěd (piece of equipment) · pl przyrząd (piece of equipment) · fi tunnusmerkki (law: image used in whole or part as a trademark or service mark) · pt dispositivo (piece of equipment) · lv aparāts (piece of equipment) · fi tunnus (law: image used in whole or part as a trademark or service mark) · tg асбоб (piece of equipment) · el έμβλημα (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · it inscrizione (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · mi pūrere (piece of equipment) · fi tunnus (printing: image denoting authority or provenience) · la māchina (piece of equipment) · de Kunstgriff (project, stratagem, artifice) · ar أَدَاة (piece of equipment) · my ကိရိယာ (piece of equipment) · ro element (de construcție) (piece of equipment) · id perangkat (piece of equipment) · ko 장치 (piece of equipment) · fi laite (piece of equipment) · ps آله (piece of equipment) · it stratagemma (project, stratagem, artifice) · mn хэрэглүүр (project, stratagem, artifice) · de Emblem (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · sv apparat (piece of equipment) · ka მოწყობილობა (piece of equipment) · el τέχνασμα (project, stratagem, artifice) · sa यन्त्र (piece of equipment) · hu szerkezet (piece of equipment) · lo ເຄື່ອງ (piece of equipment) · it beffa (project, stratagem, artifice) · ru га́джет (piece of equipment) · sk zariadenie (piece of equipment) · nb apparat (piece of equipment) · de Einheit (piece of equipment) · mk направа (piece of equipment) · ky аппарат (piece of equipment) · fi juoni (project, stratagem, artifice) · fr stratagème (project, stratagem, artifice) · de Marke (law: image used in whole or part as a trademark or service mark) · pt artifício (project, stratagem, artifice) · ota اورند (project, stratagem, artifice) · sh ȕređāj (piece of equipment) · it motto (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · bo འཁོར་ལོ (piece of equipment) · ru уло́вка (project, stratagem, artifice) · eo disponaĵo (piece of equipment) · sv knep (project, stratagem, artifice) · de Apparat (piece of equipment) · ug قۇرۇلما (piece of equipment) · hy ապարատ (piece of equipment) · bg прое́кт (project, stratagem, artifice) · hy սարք (piece of equipment) · fi omatekoinen pommi (improvised explosive device) · hsb grat (piece of equipment) · az qurğu (piece of equipment) · vi thiết bị (piece of equipment) · gd cleas (project, stratagem, artifice) · fi apuväline (project, stratagem, artifice) · cmn 裝置 /装置 (piece of equipment) · km យន្ត (piece of equipment) · jv ꦲꦭꦠ꧀ (piece of equipment) · id alat (piece of equipment) · ru схе́ма (project, stratagem, artifice) · es aparejo (piece of equipment) · ro componentă (piece of equipment) · ja 装置 (piece of equipment) · fi merkintä (printing: image denoting authority or provenience) · de Vorrichtung (project, stratagem, artifice) · mk деви́за (heraldry: personal motto or emblem) · az deviz (heraldry: personal motto or emblem)

device en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Antonyms

Deriveds

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Translations (241)