noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation, US:/kənˈtɹæp.ʃən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K AH0 N T R AE1 P SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A machine that is complicated and precarious.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any object.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, figuratively, ironic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a device or control that is very useful for a particular job
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Narrower terms: gadgetry, gimbal, injector, mod con
History
Etymology
Possibly a Western US English dialectal word of unknown origin. First attested in the early 19th century. Perhaps from contrive + trap + -tion, while also possibly approximating construction. Chambers suggests contrivance + adaption. Neither Chambers nor Concise Oxford suggests a US origin. Compare cantrip, cantrap (Scots dialect), a wilful piece of trickery.
Across languages
Translations
68 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
artefacte
— complicated and precarious machine
Chinese Mandarin:
複雜且不可靠的機器] /复杂且不可靠的机器] (no equivalent exists
(fùzá qiě bù kěkào de jīqì)
— complicated and precarious machine
Dutch:
apparaat
— complicated and precarious machine
Finnish:
vekotin
— complicated and precarious machine
Finnish:
vempain
— complicated and precarious machine
Finnish:
vehje
— complicated and precarious machine
Finnish:
hilavitkutin
— complicated and precarious machine
French:
machin
— complicated and precarious machine
French:
bidule
— complicated and precarious machine
French:
engin
— complicated and precarious machine
Galician:
calimbornio
— complicated and precarious machine
German:
neumodischer Apparat
— complicated and precarious machine
German:
irres Gerät
— complicated and precarious machine
German:
seltsame Vorrichtung
— complicated and precarious machine
German:
Erfindung
— complicated and precarious machine
Ancient Greek:
κατασκεύασμα
(kataskeúasma)
— complicated and precarious machine
Hindi:
यंत्र
(yantra)
— complicated and precarious machine
Hindi:
यन्त्र
(yantra)
— complicated and precarious machine
Hindi:
जन्तर
(jantar)
— complicated and precarious machine
Hungarian:
szerkezet
— complicated and precarious machine
Italian:
aggeggio
— complicated and precarious machine
Italian:
congegno
— complicated and precarious machine
Italian:
marchingegno
— complicated and precarious machine
Māori:
autaia
— complicated and precarious machine
Marathi:
यंत्र
(yantra)
— complicated and precarious machine
Occitan:
daquòs
— complicated and precarious machine
Occitan:
èstre
— complicated and precarious machine
Odia:
ଯନ୍ତ୍ର
(jantra)
— complicated and precarious machine
Odia:
ଜନ୍ତ୍ର
(jantra)
— complicated and precarious machine
Portuguese:
engenhoca
— complicated and precarious machine
Portuguese:
geringonça
— complicated and precarious machine
Russian:
приспособле́ние
(prisposoblénije)
— complicated and precarious machine
Russian:
устро́йство
(ustrójstvo)
— complicated and precarious machine
Sanskrit:
यन्त्र
(yantra)
— complicated and precarious machine
Serbo-Croatian:
сокоћало
— complicated and precarious machine
Spanish:
artilugio
— complicated and precarious machine
Spanish:
invento
— complicated and precarious machine
Spanish:
armatoste
— complicated and precarious machine
Spanish:
mamotreto
— complicated and precarious machine
Spanish:
armatroste
— complicated and precarious machine
Spanish:
almatroste
— complicated and precarious machine
Swedish:
manick
— complicated and precarious machine
Turkish:
zımbırtı
— complicated and precarious machine
Chinese Mandarin:
東西 /东西
(dōngxi)
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Chinese Mandarin:
玩意兒 /玩意儿
(wányìr)
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Dutch:
machientje
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Finnish:
härveli
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Finnish:
rakkine
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Galician:
calimbornio
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
German:
Ding
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
German:
Objekt
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
German:
Gerät
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
German:
Machwerk
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Hungarian:
szerkentyű
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Italian:
trabiccolo
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Italian:
ferro vecchio
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Italian:
catorcio
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Italian:
coso
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Italian:
diavoleria
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Portuguese:
geringonça
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Russian:
штуко́вина
(štukóvina)
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Russian:
шту́чка
(štúčka)
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Russian:
ерунда́
(jerundá)
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Russian:
ерундо́вина
(jerundóvina)
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Russian:
хрено́вина
(xrenóvina)
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Russian:
фигня́
(fignjá)
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Spanish:
armatoste
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt
Turkish:
zımbırtı
— object referred to with irony, derision or contempt