Contraption — Con*trap tion, n. A contrivance; a new fangled device; used scornfully. [Colloq. or Dial.] {Con*trap tious}, a. We all remember some of the extraordinary contraptions which have been thus evolved and put upon the market. F. M. Ware. [Webster 1913 … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
contraption — index invention Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
contraption — 1825, western England dialect, origin obscure, perhaps from con(trive) + trap, or deception … Etymology dictionary
contraption — gadget, *device, contrivance Analogous words: appliance, tool, instrument, *implement, utensil: *machine, mechanism, apparatus: expedient, makeshift (see RESOURCE) … New Dictionary of Synonyms
contraption — [n] device apparatus, appliance, contrivance, doohickey*, gadget, gizmo*, machine, mechanism, rig, Rube Goldberg device*, thingamajig*, widget; concepts 463,499 … New thesaurus
contraption — ► NOUN ▪ a machine or device that appears strange or unnecessarily complicated. ORIGIN perhaps from CONTRIVE(Cf. ↑contriver), by association with TRAP(Cf. ↑trap) … English terms dictionary
contraption — [kən trap′shən] n. [< ? CON(TRIVE) + TRAP1, n. 2 + TION] a device or machine regarded as strange, incomprehensible, makeshift, etc.; contrivance or gadget … English World dictionary
contraption — n. (colloq.) to build, put together, slap together a contraption * * * [kən træpʃ(ə)n] put together slap together a contraption (colloq.) to build … Combinatory dictionary
contraption — [[t]kəntræ̱pʃ(ə)n[/t]] contraptions N COUNT You can refer to a device or machine as a contraption, especially when it looks strange or you do not know what it is used for. ...a strange contraption called the General Gordon Gas Bath. Syn: gadget … English dictionary
contraption — UK [kənˈtræpʃ(ə)n] / US noun [countable] Word forms contraption : singular contraption plural contraptions a machine or piece of equipment, especially one that looks strange or complicated … English dictionary
