Contrivance (?), n. 1. The act or faculty of contriving, inventing, devising, or planning.
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The machine which we are inspecting demonstrates, by its construction, contrivance and design. Contrivance must have had a contriver. Paley.
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2. The thing contrived, invented, or planned; disposition of parts or causes by design; a scheme; plan; artifice; arrangement.
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Government is a contrivance of human wisdom to provide for human wants. Burke.

Syn. -- Device; plan; scheme; invention; machine; project; design; artifice; shift. See Device.
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