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The process or art of constructing; the act of building; erection; the act of devising and forming; fabrication; composition.

To bring about by counsel or contrivance; to devise; to contrive. [Obs.] Thou hast consulted shame to thy Hab. ii. 10.

Not deviating or varying from uninformity; not interrupted; not joined or articulated. Continuous brake (Railroad), a brake which is attached to each car a train, and can be caused to operate in all the cars simultaneously from a point on any car or on the engine. -- Continuous impost. See Impost.

A contrivance; a new-fangled device; -- used scornfully. [Colloq. or Dial.] -- Con*trap"tious (#), a.

Capable of being contrived, planned, invented, or devised. A perpetual motion may seem easily contrivable. Bp. Wilkins.

The act or faculty of contriving, inventing, devising, or planning. The machine which we are inspecting demonstrates, by its construction, contrivance and design. Contrivance must have had a contriver. Paley.

To form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to invent; to design; to plan. What more likely to contrive this admirable frame of the universe than infinite wisdom. Tillotson. neither do thou imagine that I shall contrive aught against his life. Hawthorne.

One who contrives, devises, plans, or schemas. Swift.

honest management, or artifice. [Obs.] the very jesuits themselves . . . can not possibly devise any juggling conveyance how to shift it off. Hakewill.

A device for holding copy for a compositor.

ack, or attempt to bring back, to propriety in morals; to reprove or punish for faults or deviations from moral rectitude; to chastise; to discipline; as, a child should be corrected for lying. My accuser is my 'prentice; and when I did correct him for his fault the other day, he did vow upon his knees he would be even…

Any force or device designed to restrain another restraining force; a check upon a check. The system of checks and counterchecks. J. H. Newton.

A sudden stroke; an unexpected device or stratagem; -- a term used in various ways to convey the idea of promptness and force. Coup de grace (ke gr Etym: [F.], the stroke of mercy with which an executioner ends by death the sufferings of the condemned; hence, a decisive, finishing stroke. -- Coup de main (ke m Etym: […

A device or contrivance which serves to couple or connect adjacent parts or objects; as, a belt coupling, which connects the ends of a belt; a car coupling, which connects the cars in a train; a shaft coupling, which connects the ends of shafts. Box coupling, Chain coupling. See under Box, Chain. -- Coupling box, a co…

oses; artifice; guile; skill or dexterity employed to effect purposes by deceit or shrewd devices. You have that crooked wisdom which is called craft. Hobbes. The chief priets and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. Mark xiv. 1.

Dexterity in devising and effecting a purpose; cunning; artifice; stratagem. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. Job. v. 13.

A device, usually of iron bent at the ends, used to hold together blocks of stone, timbers, etc.; a cramp iron.

A spurlike device strapped to the boot, which enables one to climb a tree or pole; -- called often telegraph creepers.

or frame over which the upper of a boot or shoe is stretched to the required shape. (b) A device for giving hair a wavy apperance. (c) A machine for crimping or ruffling textile fabrics.

ously wrinkled. Skelton. The flames through all the casements pushing forth, Like red-not devils crinkled into snakes. Mrs. Browning.