Standard Lemma guide

contraption

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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • 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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: appliance, contrivance, convenience, gadget, gizmo, gismo, widget

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: device

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