contrivance

英 [kən'traɪv(ə)ns] 美[kən'traɪvəns]

• n. 发明；发明物；想出的办法；计谋

1. a device that is very useful for a particular job

2. the faculty of contriving; inventive skill;

"his skillful contrivance of answers to every problem"

3. an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade;

"his testimony was just a contrivance to throw us off the track"

4. an artificial or unnatural or obviously contrived arrangement of details or parts etc.;

"the plot contained too many improbable contrivances to be believable"

5. any improvised arrangement for temporary use

6. the act of devising something