invent

  • 1Invent — In*vent , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Invented}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Inventing}.] [L. inventus, p. p. of invenire to come upon, to find, invent; pref. in in + venire to come, akin to E. come: cf. F. inventer. See {Come}.] [1913 Webster] 1. To come or light …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2invent — 1 *contrive, devise, frame, concoct Analogous words: initiate, inaugurate (see BEGIN): institute, *found, establish 2 Invent, create, discover are comparable terms frequently confused in the sense of to bring into being something new. Invent (see …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 3invent — in‧vent [ɪnˈvent] verb [transitive] 1. to make, design or produce something new or a new way of doing something: • Percy Spencer invented the microwave oven. • Mr. Monaghan virtually invented the modern pizza delivery business when he founded… …

    Financial and business terms

  • 4invent — in·vent vt: to create or produce for the first time in·ven·tor n Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. invent …

    Law dictionary

  • 5invent — [v1] create, think up ad lib, author, bear, bring into being, coin, come upon, come up with, compose, conceive, contrive, cook up*, design, devise, discover, dream up, envision, execute, fake, fashion, find, forge, form, formulate, frame, hatch,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 6invent — [in vent′] vt. [ME inventen < L inventus, pp. of invenire, to come upon, meet with, discover < in , in, on + venire, to COME] 1. to think up; devise or fabricate in the mind [to invent excuses] 2. to think out or produce (a new device,… …

    English World dictionary

  • 7invent — (v.) late 15c., find, discover, a back formation from invention or else from L. inventus, pp. of invenire “to come upon; devise, discover” (see INVENTION (Cf. invention)). Meaning make up, think up is from 1530s, as is that of produce by… …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 8invent — ► VERB 1) create or design (a new device, process, etc.). 2) make up (a false story, name, etc.). DERIVATIVES inventor noun. ORIGIN Latin invenire contrive, discover …

    English terms dictionary

  • 9invent */*/ — UK [ɪnˈvent] / US verb [transitive] Word forms invent : present tense I/you/we/they invent he/she/it invents present participle inventing past tense invented past participle invented Collocations: If you are the first person to make a new type of …

    English dictionary

  • 10invent — inventible, inventable, adj. /in vent /, v.t. 1. to originate or create as a product of one s own ingenuity, experimentation, or contrivance: to invent the telegraph. 2. to produce or create with the imagination: to invent a story. 3. to make up… …

    Universalium