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contraption
" It is a distortion, with something profoundly disloyal about it, to picture the human being as a teetering, fallible contraption, always needing watching and patching, always on the verge of flapping to pieces."
Lewis Thomas

Meaning of "contraption" in the English dictionary

DICTIONARY

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD CONTRAPTION

Perhaps from con(trivance) + trap1 + (inven)tion.
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF CONTRAPTION

kənˈtræpʃən


GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF CONTRAPTION

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Contraption is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES CONTRAPTION MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of contraption in the English dictionary

The definition of contraption in the dictionary is (informal, often facetious (or derogatory) a device or contrivance, esp one considered strange, unnecessarily intricate, or improvised.



WORDS THAT RHYME WITH CONTRAPTION

absorption · adaption · assumption · caption · conception · consumption · corruption · delapsion · description · Egyptian · exception · inscription · miscaption · option · perception · prescription · recaption · reception · subscription · usucaption

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE CONTRAPTION

contralti · contralto · contranatant · contraoctave · contraplex · contraposition · contrapositive · contrapposto · contraprop · contrapropeller · contrapuntal · contrapuntalist · contrapuntally · contrapuntist · contrarian · contraries · contrarieties · contrariety · contrarily · contrariness

WORDS THAT END LIKE CONTRAPTION

accreditation · adoption · adsorption · alcohol consumption · contraception · deception · disruption · encryption · energy consumption · eruption · exemption · inception · interception · interruption · job description · misconception · presumption · resumption · tax exemption · transcription · wedding reception

Synonyms and antonyms of contraption in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «CONTRAPTION»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «contraption» and belong to the same grammatical category.

Translation of «contraption» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR

TRANSLATION OF CONTRAPTION

Find out the translation of contraption to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of contraption from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «contraption» in English.
zh

Translator English - Chinese

玩意儿
1,325 millions of speakers
es

Translator English - Spanish

artilugio
570 millions of speakers
en

English

contraption
510 millions of speakers
hi

Translator English - Hindi

कोंटरापशन
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

غريبة
280 millions of speakers
ru

Translator English - Russian

штуковина
278 millions of speakers
pt

Translator English - Portuguese

engenhoca
270 millions of speakers
bn

Translator English - Bengali

অদ্ভুতদর্শন কল
260 millions of speakers
fr

Translator English - French

bidule
220 millions of speakers
ms

Translator English - Malay

Alat ganti
190 millions of speakers
de

Translator English - German

Apparat
180 millions of speakers
ja

Translator English - Japanese

工夫
130 millions of speakers
ko

Translator English - Korean

진기한
85 millions of speakers
jv

Translator English - Javanese

Contraption
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

trái ngược
80 millions of speakers
ta

Translator English - Tamil

பொறி
75 millions of speakers
mr

Translator English - Marathi

विचित्र दिसणे
75 millions of speakers
tr

Translator English - Turkish

mekanizma
70 millions of speakers
it

Translator English - Italian

aggeggio
65 millions of speakers
pl

Translator English - Polish

ustrojstwo
50 millions of speakers
uk

Translator English - Ukrainian

штуковина
40 millions of speakers
ro

Translator English - Romanian

invenție
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

μαραφέτι
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

uitvindsel
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

manick
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

contraption
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of contraption

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «CONTRAPTION»

Principal search tendencies and common uses of contraption
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «contraption».

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about contraption

EXAMPLES

QUOTES WITH «CONTRAPTION»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word contraption.
1
Lewis Thomas
It is a distortion, with something profoundly disloyal about it, to picture the human being as a teetering, fallible contraption, always needing watching and patching, always on the verge of flapping to pieces.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «CONTRAPTION»

Discover the use of contraption in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to contraption and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
The Grand Contraption: The World as Myth, Number, and Chance
This is a labor of love, and the passion with which David Park has written the book is readily apparent and makes one want to keep on reading.
David Allen Park, 2005
2
The Math Symbol Contraption
This story introduces basic math symbols in an enjoyable format.
KlevaKids, 2012
3
Device: Fantastic Contraption
An international group of contemporary artists whose work embodies the genius of invention and creativity have been bought together by Device Gallery to exhibit their most Fantastic Contraptions, creating a remarkable collection of curious ...
Amy Brotherton, 2008
4
Making Marble-Action Games, Gadgets, Mazes and Contraptions: ...
Project. A. no-nonsense,. no-Purpose,. Ball-Bearing. Shifter. Contraption. Cord in V groove Fig. 9-1 . The plan view,. When I was a kid, I was always taking things apart. I was never so happy as when I had some toy or another dismantled.
Alan Bridgewater, Gill Bridgewater, 1999
5
CaliClaus and the Christmas Contraption
She has dedicated this coloring book where children can color the illustrations to the animal shelters that do not euthanize cats and dogs, and to the many rescue groups who find homes for them.
Valerie Hart, 2013
6
Make 50 Wild and Wacky (but Useful!) Contraptions
Inside you'll discover: The key players in the world of contraptions: Rube Goldberg, Heath Robinson, and Robert Storm Petersen The different components that go into making a contraption, and how to build them The scientific, mechanical, and ...
Robert Brandt, Eric Chaline, 2007
7
Polly's Contraption
Polly Bender has some problems.
Dale N. Sonney, 2009
8
Taking Time for Teamwork
Supplies. • 8 toothpicks • 4 paper clips • 2 straws • 2 sheets of 8 1⁄2” x 11” paper • 2 rubber bands • golf balls • masking tape to hold contraption up • meter stick or tape measure for measurement ...
Robyn Kademan, Shawdi Nesbit, 2011
9
The Contraption
Adventure fiction.
John Minta, 2007
10
The Contraption
Can anyone endure the harrowing journey into that forest or will they fall prey to the blood-soaked jaws of the wild wolf, the curse of the witch, or the gruesome Nazi experiments? Strap yourself into The Contraption. If you dare.
Rita Villa, 2012

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «CONTRAPTION»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term contraption is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Ronaldo Shills Bullshit Workout Contraption In Ridiculous Commercial
I'm not saying Cristiano Ronaldo is a cyborg, and if he is he's probably a benevolent one, but if this wild commercial for some weird, obviously ... «Deadspin, Jul 15»
2
Safarova in doubles - court 3
A young gentleman has been sucking up the dirt on Centre Court's dusty baseline with a magnificent contraption, while two blokes are testing the turf's bounce ... «BBC Sport, Jul 15»
3
Pospisil v Murray - Centre
A young gentleman has been sucking up the dirt on Centre Court's dusty baseline with a magnificent contraption, while two blokes are testing ... «BBC Sport, Jul 15»
4
Futuristic Jetpack Will Go on Sale for $200000 Next Year
The contraption can stay in the air for about 30 minutes, and can reach speeds of 46 mph (74 km/h) and an altitude of 3,280 feet (1,000 meters), ... «Live Science, Jul 15»
5
Weird ways to stay cool
Apparently, it's really easy to make a do-it-yourself air-con contraption, all you need is a small table-top fan and a bowl of ice cubes. «Hartlepool Mail, Jul 15»
6
Carlos Santana's struggles, Giovanny Urshela's quest for the ball …
The third baseman then rode the contraption around the Indians' clubhouse on Tuesday afternoon. Lindor purchased a monorover, ... «cleveland.com, Jul 15»
7
Watch Cristiano Ronaldo star in a bizarre ad for his Japanese ab …
... clothes while commuting to work, reading a book, or doing housework. Take a look at the bizarre contraption above. Video courtesy of MTG. «Business Insider, Jul 15»
8
Man floats above Stampede city on chair tethered to balloons
Police were less impressed at his stunt, and the fact his abandoned contraption was left to land where the wind blew it. Calgary Police acting ... «CTV News, Jul 15»
9
Martina Hingis still a star but would be happy to turn back clock
The interview takes place, somewhat bizarrely, in a rickshaw that Martina Hingis gamely pretends is a time machine. If the contraption could ... «The Times, Jul 15»
10
Cream puffs
Custard fillings are made fresh with locally sourced ingredients and are injected to order by a Rube Goldberg-like contraption. Two flavors ... «Boston Globe, Jul 15»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Contraption [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/contraption>. Apr 2024 ».
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