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device

[dih-vahys]

noun

a thing made for a particular purpose; an invention or contrivance, especially a mechanical or electrical one.

a plan or scheme for effecting a purpose.

a crafty scheme; trick.

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.

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.

a motto.

Archaic. devising; invention.

COLLAPSE

Origin:
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 forms

de·vice·ful, adjective

de·vice·ful·ly, adverb

de·vice·ful·ness, noun

Can be confused: device, devise.

Synonyms
1. gadget. 2. project, design. 3. wile, ruse, artifice, stratagem, maneuver. 7. slogan, legend.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To Device

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Device is always a great word to know.

So is ort. Does it mean:

a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.

a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.

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Example Sentences

Apple's device is proving both transformative and deeply frustrating.

The developer of the device in the winning entry says it was used without permission.

If the device has so much potential, the only way to tap that potential is to actually use it and be comfortable doing so.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

device (dɪˈvaɪs)

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

[C13: from Old French devis purpose, contrivance and devise difference, intention, from deviser to divide, control; see devise]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

device

late 13c., from O.Fr. devis "division, separation, disposition, wish, desire," from L. divisus, pp. of dividere "to divide" (see divide). Sense of "method by which something is divided" arose in French and led to modern meaning.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

device de·vice (dĭ-vīs')
n.
A contrivance or an invention serving a particular purpose, especially a machine used to perform one or more relatively simple tasks.

FOLDOC

Computing Dictionary