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What exactly is a contraption?
In the words of one Little Mermaid, “I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty.” It would have been on-theme (though perhaps a bit clunky) for the aquatic princess to include in her siren song the word contraption. Synonymous with both gadget and gizmo, and widget too, in referring to mechanical and electronic devices, contraption is also one of a raft of terms people reach for when talking about various human-made bits and bobs, whether mechanical or not. (It's thought to have possibly been formed as a blend of contrivance, trap, and invention.) Want more thingamabob words? Try doohickey, thingamajig, dingus, or doodad.
Synonyms
Examples of contraption in a Sentence
IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2024
The company’s Ping-Pong robots take up an entire room, and there are only three; the researchers had to invent a Rube Goldberg contraption using fans, funnels, and hoppers to feed loose balls back into robot-vs.-robot games.
—James Somers, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
There’s also one of those 360-degree spinning video contraptions, so there’s no shortage of Instagram- and TikTok-worthy moments.
—Rob Reed, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
Typically referred to as light therapy or LED face masks, these contraptions use light-emitting diodes to shine light at specific wavelengths onto the skin for various purposes like reducing wrinkles, firming the skin and controlling acne.
—Melinda Wenner Moyer, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025
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Dictionary Entries Near contraption
Cite this Entry
“Contraption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contraption. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
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contraption
noun
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