de·vice / diˈvīs/ • n. 1. a thing made or adapted for a particular purpose, esp. a mechanical or electronic contrivance: a measuring device. ∎  an explosive contrivance; a bomb: an incendiary device. ∎ archaic the design or look of something: works of strange device.2. a plan, scheme, or trick with a particular aim: writing a public letter is a traditional device for signaling dissent. ∎  a turn of phrase intended to produce a particular effect in speech or a literary work: a rhetorical device.3. a drawing or design: the decorative device on the invitations. ∎  an emblematic or heraldic design: their shields bear the device of the Blazing Sun.PHRASES: leave someone to their own devices leave someone to do as they wish without supervision.ORIGIN: Middle English: from Old French devis, based on Latin divis- ‘divided,’ from the verb dividere. The original sense was ‘desire or intention,’ found now only in leave a person to his or her own devices (which has become associated with sense 2).

device plan, planning; pleasure, fancy XIII; †opinion; design, figure XIV; contrivance XIV. ME. devis, later devise, from XV device; the present form is — OF. devis m.; devise is — OF. devise fem.; — Rom. derivs. of L. dīvīs-, pp. stem of dīvīdere DIVIDE. Cf. DEVISE.

device
1. In general, any printer, storage, display, input, or output mechanism that may be attached to a computer system.

2. On some operating systems, the name “device” is also associated with a destination. The output from or input to a process may be connected to a device, file, or another process. In most computers, printers, displays, keyboards, and other input mechanisms are regarded as devices.