AskEraser  |  Settings
Ask.com   
 


Synonyms
de·vice (dĭ-vīś)

[Middle English, from Old French devis, division, wish, and Old French devise, design, both from Latin dīvīsus, dīvīsa past participle of dīvidere, to divide, separate; see divide.]

noun 

  1. A contrivance or an invention serving a particular purpose, especially a machine used to perform one or more relatively simple tasks.
    1. A technique or means.
    2. A plan or scheme, especially a malign one.
  3. A literary contrivance, such as parallelism or personification, used to achieve a particular effect.
  4. A decorative design, figure, or pattern, as one used in embroidery. See synonyms at figure
  5. A graphic symbol or motto, especially in heraldry.
  6. Archaic The act, state, or power of devising.

idioms

leave to (one's) own devices
To allow to do as one pleases: left the child to her own devices for an hour in the afternoon.