WordWeb Online

1. A device or control that is very useful for a particular job
   - appliance, contraption, convenience, gadget, gizmo [informal], gismo [informal], widget
    
2. The faculty of contriving; inventive skill
   "his skilful 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";
   - stratagem, dodge [informal]
    
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
   - lash-up
    
6. The act of devising something
   - devisal

Derived forms: contrivances

Type of: arrangement, conception, design, device, excogitation, fiction, innovation, invention, organisation [Brit], organization, scheme, strategy, system