Dictionary definition · contrivance
noun
- a device or control that is very useful for a particular job
- the faculty of contriving; inventive skill"his skillful contrivance of answers to every problem"
- an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade"his testimony was just a contrivance to throw us off the track"
- an artificial or unnatural or obviously contrived arrangement of details or parts etc."the plot contained too many improbable contrivances to be believable"
- any improvised arrangement for temporary use
- the act of devising something
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).