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.
The people wondered how the contraption worked.
built a contraption for automatically buttering toast
Recent Examples on the WebThe contraptions were light and cheap, costing about $350 each.—David E. Sanger, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024 In real life, the heist went down almost exactly as depicted in the film, with a contraption built in a weapons facility known as Churchill’s Toyshop, Lewis says.—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for contraption
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contraption.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Share