CONTRAPTION


Meaning of CONTRAPTION in English

con ‧ trap ‧ tion /kənˈtræpʃ ə n/ BrE AmE noun [countable]

[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Origin: Perhaps from contrivance + trap + invention ]

a piece of equipment or machinery that looks funny, strange, and unlikely to work well:

a bizarre contraption

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THESAURUS

▪ machine a piece of equipment with moving parts that uses power such as electricity to do a particular job:

a washing machine

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an X-ray machine

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Staff are trained to operate the machine.

▪ appliance formal a machine or piece of electrical equipment, usually a large one, that people use in the home:

The store sells kitchen appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and toasters.

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We carry out repairs on a range of household appliances.

▪ device a piece of equipment, usually a small electronic one, that does a special job:

electronic listening devices

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50,000 people downloaded the music to computers or portable devices such as iPods.

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The device is fitted to the car and can detect stationary objects ahead.

▪ gadget a small, useful, and cleverly-designed tool or machine:

high-tech gadgets

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He buys all the latest gadgets.

▪ contraption a machine or piece of equipment that looks strange or complicated:

There was a bizarre contraption for polishing the floor.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.