device
dih-VYS
Device (noun) means a piece of equipment, especially electronic or mechanical, built to perform a specific job. Example: “She charges her phone and her other devices overnight.”
noun
1
A piece of equipment, especially electronic or mechanical, built to perform a specific job.
"She charges her phone and her other devices overnight."
"The app works on any device with a modern web browser."
"This small device tracks how many steps you walk each day."
2
A scheme or trick, often meant to deceive or gain advantage.
"His apology looked less like remorse and more like a device to win sympathy."
"The villain used a clever device to make the guards leave."
"Her tears were just a device to get her own way."
3
A technique a writer or speaker uses deliberately to create an effect, such as a rhetorical or literary device.
"Repetition is a simple but powerful literary device."
"The poet uses metaphor as a device to explain complex feelings."
"Foreshadowing is a common device in mystery novels."
How to use device
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost commonly a gadget or piece of equipment, but also a clever plan or a technique used in writing or speech.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
electronic device
mobile device
literary device
explosive device
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Word forms
- Plural
- devices
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She charges her phone and her other _____ overnight.
Etymology
From Old French devis/devise, ultimately from Latin dīvidere, "to divide" — the sense shifted from "a division or plan" to "a designed thing" over centuries.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for device
See all rhymes for device →Frequently asked questions
What does “device” mean?
The word “device” means a piece of equipment, especially electronic or mechanical, built to perform a specific job. In plain terms, most commonly a gadget or piece of equipment, but also a clever plan or a technique used in writing or speech.
How do you pronounce “device”?
“Device” is pronounced dih-VYS (/dɪˈvaɪs/ in IPA).
How do you use “device” in a sentence?
Here is “device” used in a sentence: “She charges her phone and her other devices overnight.”
What is the opposite of “device”?
The opposite of “device” — its antonyms — is nondevice.
What part of speech is “device”?
“Device” is a noun.
Where does the word “device” come from?
The word “device” comes from Latin. From Old French devis/devise, ultimately from Latin dīvidere, "to divide" — the sense shifted from "a division or plan" to "a designed thing" over centuries.
Is “device” a common word?
“Device” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “device” have?
“Device” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a piece of equipment, especially electronic or mechanical, built to perform a specific job.
What is the difference between a device and a gadget?
A device is any piece of equipment built to do a specific job, from a pacemaker to a smartphone. A gadget is an informal term for a small, often clever or novel device, usually electronic. Every gadget is a device, but serious or medical equipment is rarely called a gadget.
What are the types of device?
Devices span many categories: electronic devices like phones and tablets, mechanical devices such as locks and pulleys, medical devices including hearing aids, and input or output devices for computers. The word also stretches to non-physical senses, like a literary device or a rhetorical device.
What is the difference between a device and a machine?
The terms overlap, but a machine usually has moving parts and does physical work, like an engine or a washing machine. A device is broader — any equipment made for a task, including small electronics with no moving parts, such as a sensor, remote, or smartphone.
What is an example of a device?
Everyday devices include smartphones, laptops, tablets, and smartwatches, along with mechanical examples like locks and thermostats. In technology the word often means any gadget that connects to a network. Medical devices, such as pacemakers and inhalers, are equipment designed for a specific health-related job.
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