noun
contraption
kuhn-TRAP-shuhn
noun
1
A machine or device that looks complicated, unusual, or unreliable.
"He built a strange contraption out of bicycle parts and old pipes."
"The homemade contraption was supposed to sort the mail automatically."
How to Use Contraption
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA gadget or device that looks odd, homemade, or overly complicated.
Common pairings
a strange contraption
homemade contraption
rickety contraption
Word Forms
contraptions plural
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He built a strange _____ out of bicycle parts and old pipes.
Etymology
Origin uncertain — possibly a 19th-century US dialect word, perhaps blending contrive, trap, and construction.