The means by which or manner in which an action or act is carried out; means or manner of proceeding; an available course of action. Also (in quot…

The practical application of ingenuity or skill; skilful practice; (as a count noun) a skilled method or means of doing something; a technique, a…

The means or manner of an action or act. Cf. cost, n.2 1.

An instance or product of ingenuity; a contrivance, scheme, or device. Also: an artifice, a trick (cf. engine, n. 2). Obsolete.

Something devised or contrived for bringing about some end or result; an arrangement, plan, scheme, project, contrivance; an ingenious or clever…

An instance or a product of ingenuity; a contrivance or means. In a bad sense: a plot, a snare, a wile. Obsolete.

An instance of cleverness, cunning, or deceit; a device, a stratagem, a trick.

= contrivance, n.

A contrivance, device, artifice, trick. Obsolete.

A trick; a device, artifice; formerly often, a deceitful or crafty device, a mean or underhand trick; later esp. an adroit or ingenious method of…

The action of inventing or devising; a device, invention. Obsolete.

Without implication of deceit: A subtle contrivance; a skilful device or scheme; an artifice, ‘dodge’. Obsolete or merged in preceding sense.

Device, contrivance.

A shift, in various senses; a change; a division or share; an artifice, device, or trick.

A device, a contrivance, an expedient; a stratagem, a trick. Obsolete.

A cunning or crafty scheme; a trick; a clever stratagem; = subtlety, n. 3a. Obsolete.

= policy, n.1 in various senses. Obsolete.

A device, contrivance; esp. for an evil purpose; a plot, conspiracy. Obsolete. (Cf. conject, v. 3.)

An application of skill, ingenuity, or cleverness; a device, a contrivance; a crafty expedient. Obsolete.

Something devised; a method of action, etc. contrived by the mind; a device, contrivance, design, plan, scheme. (Now merged in senses 8 9.)

transferred. An application of skill; an ingenious device or means (quot. 1527). Obsolete.

An expedient, an ingenious device for effecting some purpose.

A crafty contrivance or artifice; a stratagem.

Resource, remedy, means of helping or extricating oneself, shift; also, expedient, device, shiftiness.

A way or method of attaining an end; a contrivance, an expedient. Obsolete. rare.

A course to turn to; a shift, device, expedient.

A device, material or immaterial. Obsolete.

Something invented; a device, contrivance: = invention, n. 6 9.

A means of getting out of a difficulty; an expedient. Obsolete.

A clever or adroit expedient, device, or contrivance; a ‘dexterous artifice’ (Johnson); a ‘dodge’. bag of tricks: see bag of tricks at bag, n. 18a.

An invention; a clever contrivance. Obsolete. rare.

spec. A scheme or plot. Obsolete.

A tight grip on a person, esp. (Wrestling) a hold on a particular limb or part of the body, used to restrain another person or prevent him or her…

= contrivance, n.

A device for attaining some end; an expedient, artifice, plot, stratagem; = contrivance, n. 7.

Now the usual sense. An ingenious expedient, a clever stratagem; (chiefly in negative sense) a manoeuvre or device intended to deceive, a trick.

In extended use: a means, procedure, or plan for attaining or effecting some end; (also) a state of affairs or set of events which is likely to…

with an and plural. An ingenious device or contrivance; an artifice.

A contrivance or device adopted for attaining an end; a resource, ‘shift’.

An arrangement or thing in which the foregoing action or faculty is embodied; something contrived for… A plan or scheme for attaining some end; an…

A result of the action; a plan thought out; a contrivance, an invention.

A contrivance, a trick; trickery, falsehood. Obsolete. rare.

concrete. = expedient, n. 2. Obsolete.

A vigorous attempt to attain some object; a measure, expedient, or device adopted for some purpose. Also stroke of policy (or †politics) (cf. sense…

A device, trick. rare.

A contrivance, device; a piece of trickery. Obsolete.

figurative. A carefully planned scheme or action, esp. one involving deception; an adroit move; a gambit, subterfuge, ploy, etc.

An action calculated to secure some end or one which initiates or advances a process or plan; a step towards an objective. a (good, bad, wise,etc.)…

colloquial. A clever or adroit expedient or trick; a happy device; a ‘dodge’. Esp. (U.S.) in a new wrinkle.

colloquial and slang. A clever or adroit expedient or contrivance (cf. trick, n. 3 in similar use): popularly extended to a machine, a natural…

(See quots.)

A clever trick, ploy, or stratagem to achieve a desired end, esp. by unorthodox, irregular, or time-saving means; a dodge; a tip.

figurative. An odd but clever method of doing something; a ‘dodge’, ‘wrinkle’.

slang. Chiefly Australian and New Zealand slang. A scheme, ‘dodge’, plan of action, ruse (not necessarily implying fraud). (See also quot. 1941.)

An ingenious or novel procedure; an ingenious trick or scheme; a gimmick. See also gadget play n. at compounds 2.

An act of deception; a trick. Esp. in to pull a fastie: to trick or attempt to trick a person by doing something ingenious; to deceive someone (cf. to…

A stratagem suggested by particular circumstances and employed to gain a calculated advantage, frequently against an opponent; a cunning scheme or…