devise definition | Dictionary.com

de⋅vise

[di-vahyz]

verb, -vised, -vis⋅ing, noun

–verb (used with object)

1.	to contrive, plan, or elaborate; invent from existing principles or ideas: to devise a method.

2.	Law. to assign or transmit (property) by will.

3.	Archaic. to imagine; suppose.

–verb (used without object)

4.	to form a plan; contrive.

–noun

Law.

a.	the act of disposing of property, esp. real property, by will.

b.	a will or clause in a will disposing of property, esp. real property.

c.	the property so disposed of.

Origin:
1150–1200; (v.) ME devisen to inspect, design, compose < OF deviser < VL *dēvīsāre, for *dīvīsāre, freq. of L dīvidere to divide; (n.) see device

Related forms:

de⋅vis⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
1. See prepare.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To devise

de·vise (dĭ-vīz')

tr.v. de·vised, de·vis·ing, de·vis·es

To form, plan, or arrange in the mind; design or contrive: devised a new system for handling mail orders.
Law To transmit or give (real property) by will.
Archaic To suppose; imagine.

n. Law

1. The act of transmitting or giving real property by will.
2. The property or lands so transmitted or given.
A will or clause in a will transmitting or giving real property.

[Middle English devisen, from Old French deviser, from Vulgar Latin *dēvīsāre, from Latin *dīvīsāre, frequentative of dīvidere, to divide; see divide.]
de·vis'a·ble adj., de·vis'er n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Devise

De*vise"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Devised; p. pr. & vb. n. Devising.] [OF. deviser to distribute, regulate, direct, relate, F., to chat, fr. L. divisus divided, distributed, p. p. of dividere. See Divide, and cf. Device.]

1. To form in the mind by new combinations of ideas, new applications of principles, or new arrangement of parts; to formulate by thought; to contrive; to excogitate; to invent; to plan; to scheme; as, to devise an engine, a new mode of writing, a plan of defense, or an argument.

To devise curious works. --Ex. CCTV. 32.

Devising schemes to realize his ambitious views. --Bancroft.

2. To plan or scheme for; to purpose to obtain.

For wisdom is most riches; fools therefore They are which fortunes do by vows devise. --Spenser.

3. To say; to relate; to describe. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

4. To imagine; to guess. [Obs.] --Spenser.

5. (Law) To give by will; -- used of real estate; formerly, also, of chattels.

Syn: To bequeath; invent; discover; contrive; excogitate; imagine; plan; scheme. See Bequeath.

Devise

De*vise"\, v. i. To form a scheme; to lay a plan; to contrive; to consider.

I thought, devised, and Pallas heard my prayer. --Pope.

Note: Devise was formerly followed by of; as, let us devise of ease. --Spenser.

Devise

De*vise"\, n. [OF. devise division, deliberation, wish, will, testament. See Device.]

1. The act of giving or disposing of real estate by will; -- sometimes improperly applied to a bequest of personal estate.

2. A will or testament, conveying real estate; the clause of a will making a gift of real property.

Fines upon devises were still exacted. --Bancroft.

3. Property devised, or given by will.

Devise

De*vise"\, n. Device. See Device. [Obs.]

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : devise

Spanish: concebir, inventar, tramar, maquinar,

German: ausdenken,

Japanese: 考案する

More Translations »

devise

c.1300, from O.Fr. deviser "dispose in portions, arrange, plan, contrive," from V.L. *divisare, freq. of L. dividere "to divide" (see divide). Modern sense is from "to arrange a division" (especially via a will), a meaning present in the O.Fr. word.

Main Entry: de·vise
Pronunciation: di-'vIz
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: de·vised; de·vis·ing
Etymology: Anglo-French deviser to divide, share, bequeath, ultimately from Latin dividere to divide
: to give (property) by will; specifically : to give (real property) by will —compare ALIENATE, BEQUEATH, CONVEY —de·vis·able adjective —de·vi·sor /"de-v&-'zor; di-'vI-"zor, -z&r/ noun

Main Entry: devise
Function: noun
1 : a gift of property made in a will; specifically : a gift of real property made in a will —see also ABATE, ADEMPTION —compare DISTRIBUTION
NOTE: Formerly devise was used to refer only to gifts of real property, and legacy and bequest were used only to refer to gifts of personal property. These distinctions are no longer closely followed. The Uniform Probate Code uses devise to refer to any gifts made in a will.

executory devise
: a devise of an interest in land that will vest in the future upon the occurrence of a contingency and that can follow a fee simple estate
NOTE: Executory devises were invented as a way of getting around the rule in Shelley's case, which is now largely abolished.

general devise
: a devise that is to be distributed from the general assets of an estate and that is not of a particular thing

re·sid·u·ary devise
/ri-'zi-j&-"wer-E-/
: a devise of whatever is left in an estate after all other debts and devises have been paid or distributed

spe·cif·ic devise
: a devise of a particular item or part of an estate that is payable only from a specified source in the estate and not from the general assets
2 : a clause in a will disposing of property and esp. real property
3 : property disposed of by a will

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