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Definition of contraption
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contraption was our Word of the Day on 09/18/2013. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of contraption in a Sentence
The people wondered how the contraption worked.
built a contraption for automatically buttering toast
Recent Examples of contraption from the Web
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The contraption, which resembles a harness the Terminator might wear, is built with carbon fiber rods that act as extra artificial tendons, giving store workers bodybuilder strength and, the company hopes, increased productivity.
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These are gizmos, contraptions, and just plain odd scientific objects that were all presumably useful for scientific endeavors at one point.
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The ecommerce giant has long been working on its Prime Air flying machine, though strict regulations governing the commercial use of such contraptions means that a full-fledged, drone delivery service is still a ways off.
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Schools across the U.S. and Europe may have begun banning fidget spinners, but the popular children's toy has nothing on the new kid's contraption sweeping China.
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Live Action sports goes extreme with daredevils showing off their tricks in freestyle motocross, BMX, skateboard, inline, scooter and other contraptions.
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Whenever the contraption is unlocked, a counter ticks up one, so the owner could see if anyone had unlocked the lock in their absence.
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In a video recorded by the AP, the contraption of aluminum and propellers just barely hovers off the ground.
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In December, Carlo Ratti, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, stood on the banks of a picturesque canal in Amsterdam to test his team’s latest contraption: a driverless boat.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contraption'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What Exactly is a contraption?
English has a number of words that can be used as general terms for mechanical or electronic devices, including gadget, gizmo, widget, and contraption. In addition to their meaning, these four words also have a couple of other things in common. First, they are all relative newcomers to the language. The oldest, contraption, entered the language around 1825. Second, the origins of all four are a bit of a mystery (well, widget is believed to be an alteration of gadget, but the origins of gadget are unknown-it didn't appear in print until 1886, but is believed to have been used among sailors perhaps as far back as the mid-1800s). Contraption, may be a blend of contrivance (which can be used as another synonym of gadget), trap, and invention.
Origin and Etymology of contraption
perhaps blend of contrivance, trap, and invention
CONTRAPTION Defined for English Language Learners
contraption
playDefinition of contraption for English Language Learners
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: a piece of equipment or machinery that is unusual or strange
CONTRAPTION Defined for Kids
Learn More about contraption
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See words that rhyme with contraption Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for contraption Spanish Central: Translation of contraption Nglish: Translation of contraption for Spanish speakers
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