DEVISE


Meaning of DEVISE in English

de ‧ vise /dɪˈvaɪz/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]

[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: deviser , from Latin divisus , past participle of dividere 'to divide' ]

to plan or invent a new way of doing something:

She devised a method for quicker communications between offices.

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COLLOCATIONS

■ nouns

▪ devise a method/way

Our aim is to devise a way to improve quality and reduce costs.

▪ devise a means (=think of a way)

We must devise a means of transport that does not pollute the atmosphere.

▪ devise a system

How do you devise a system of testing students that is completely fair?

▪ devise a plan/scheme

Together they devised a clever plan to escape.

▪ devise a strategy

The region is keen to devise a strategy to develop tourism.

▪ devise a solution

Representatives met to discuss the crisis and devise solutions.

▪ devise a programme

Your trainer will devise an exercise programme for you to follow.

▪ devise an experiment/test

He devised a series of experiments to test his theory.

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THESAURUS

▪ invent to think of an idea for a new product, machine etc, and design it or make it:

The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.

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Who invented the Internet?

▪ create to make or design something new and original:

We decided to create the software ourselves.

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For her latest book, she has created a whole new group of characters.

▪ think of something/think up something to produce a new idea, plan, method, excuse etc by thinking:

I’ve thought of an idea.

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They’re always trying to think up new ways to improve efficiency.

▪ come up with something to produce a new idea, a way of dealing with something etc, especially a good one:

How did you come up with that idea?

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Ellis came up with the solution to the problem immediately.

▪ make something up to invent a story, song, game, excuse etc:

My mother used to make up bedtime stories for us.

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I didn’t want to go to the class, so I decided to make up an excuse.

▪ dream something up to think of an idea or plan, especially one that seems unusual or even crazy:

It can’t be easy dreaming up new advertisements all the time.

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I wonder who dreamt up that idea!

▪ devise formal to invent a way of doing something, especially one that is clever or complicated:

This system was devised as a way of measuring students’ progress.

▪ conceive formal to think of a new idea, plan etc and develop it in your mind:

The project was originally conceived by a Dutch businessman two years ago.

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