Definition of "device" []

• A contrivance or an invention serving a particular purpose, especially a machine used to perform one or more relatively simple tasks. (noun)
• A technique or means. (noun)
• A plan or scheme, especially a malign one. (noun)
• A literary contrivance, such as parallelism or personification, used to achieve a particular effect. (noun)
• A decorative design, figure, or pattern, as one used in embroidery. See Synonyms at figure. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The first reviews of the device began rolling in Tuesday afternoon and they are largely glowing, despite some expected complaints about the device&# ..."
• "However, separately backing up my Eudora and Palm data is a small inconvenience compared to the peace of mind this device brings †¦ especially on days when my laptop sounds like it†™ s laboring and may crash and burn at any minute. win a Clickfree HD801 device*?"
• "The other thing, Kate, that's interesting is we're not quite sure -- we're using the term device but we don't really know whether it was powders or liquids, or whatever the case was."