device meaning

Noun: device  di'vIs

1. An instrumentality invented for a particular purpose
   "the device is small enough to wear on your wrist"; "a device intended to conserve water" 
2. Something in an artistic work designed to achieve a particular effect 
3. Any clever manoeuvre
   "he would stoop to any device to win a point"
   - gimmick, twist 
4. Any ornamental pattern or design (as in embroidery) 
5. An emblematic design (especially in heraldry)
   "he was recognized by the device on his shield"

Derived forms: devices

Type of: design, emblem, expressive style, figure, instrumentality, instrumentation, maneuver [US], manoeuvre [Brit, Cdn], pattern, style, tactical maneuver [US], tactical manoeuvre [Brit, Cdn]

Encyclopedia: Device Device, Voice, Drum

[Architecture]

In an electric system, a component that is intended to carry, but not consume, electric energy, e.g., a switch.

[Business]
noun [C]

1

an object or a piece of equipment that has been designed to do a particular job:

a handheld device that functions as a mobile phone and an electronic map

Factories are required to install anti-pollution devices.

The technology is being sold to manufacturers of consumer devices, such as digital cameras.

2

a method of doing sth that produces a particular result or effect:

Sending advertising by mail is very successful as a marketing device.

The company used elaborate accounting devices to hide debts.

'poison pills' and other anti-takeover devices

[Electronics]
1. A simple or complex discrete electronic component.
2. A subsystem used as a unit, and regarded as a single component.

[Medicine]
Expendable and nonexpendable equipment,supplies,apparatus,and instruments that are used in diagnostic,surgical,therapeutic,scientific,and experimental procedures. n : a piece of equipment or a mechanism designed to serve a special purpose or perform a special function

[Computer]
<hardware> (Or "peripheral device", "device") Any part of a computer other than the CPU or working memory, i.e. disks, keyboards, monitors, mice, printers, scanners, tape drives, microphones, speakers, cameras, to list just the less exotic ones.

High speed working memory, such as RAM, ROM or, in the old days, core would not normally be referred to as peripherals. The more modern term "device" is also more general in that it is used for things such as a pseudo-tty, a RAM drive, or a network adaptor.

Some argue that, since the advent of the personal computer, the motherboard, hard disk, keyboard, mouse, and monitor are all parts of the base system, and only use the term "peripheral" for optional additional components.

• acoustic device:    Noun: acoustic dev ...
• active device:    [Electronics]1. An ...
• actuating device:    [Electronics]A dev ...

Examples

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1. no help from a trim device is assumed.
2. the device enables the operation of the act.
3. electronic devices shrank tremendously.
4. the classical examples are strain gage devices.
5. the refrigerator is a widely-used device.