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device

device

12 5.5
A method an artist or writer uses to create a particular effect
  • noun
  • /dɪˈvaɪs/
  • Literature
translation icon : recurso literario
  • A narrative device.
  • a literary device
  • a stylistic device
  • a framing device

The point of a dagger missing, cut off by a framing device made between wood and linen.

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Examples

  • Ah, a convenient plot device.

  • A third example of a structural device that I recommend highly is a ticking clock.

  • Some dramatic device to humanise it so it gets read.

  • The only reality that the story or drama actually has is as a representational device existing in the real world.

    Academic text (2017)
  • How you accomplish this, which narrative devices you employ will depend on your story.

  • It is no coincidence that Poltergeist used this phenomenon as a plot device.

  • Much like the foreshadowing device, parallelism is also used by the narrator to create structural cohesion.

    Academic text (1992)
  • This, what you're watching right now, is called a framing device, a story that wraps around the main story like a warm blanket around a baby.

  • While Gurney does this more elliptically, using the device of Judy's Antigone, Mamet does it straight on.

    Academic text (1993)
  • In her latest novel, the author skillfully uses a narrative device to explore the theme of betrayal.

Compounds

explosive device
  • Specialized
40 4.1

An object made to burst violently and cause damage

A machine that uses electricity to process or send information like phones and computers

homing device
  • Specialized
11 5.6

A part that helps a missile or vehicle find and move toward a target

7 5.6

A bomb made from everyday things used in attacks

incendiary device
  • Specialized
6 7.3

A weapon made to start fires using chemicals

storage device
  • Specialized
5 3.5

A thing that stores computer files, like a hard drive or USB stick

Something that helps a person float in water and avoid drowning

A thing that uses electricity to work, like a phone or lamp

A machine with moving parts that does a particular job

A piece of equipment that protects people from injury, like an airbag or seatbelt

A machine like a computer or calculator that works with information

A tool that shows how big, heavy, or hot something is

breathing device
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A machine that helps a person take air into their lungs when they cannot do it themselves

detonating device
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A small object or bit of explosive used to start a larger explosion

device driver
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A small program that lets a computer use hardware like a printer or keyboard

input device
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A tool like a keyboard or mouse that sends information to a computer

prosthetic device
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A man-made part that replaces a missing body part, for example a leg or a tooth

birth control device
  • Specialized
1 3.2

Something that stops a person from becoming pregnant

A way of using language to persuade or add emphasis

A tool that makes a loud sound or bright light to tell people there is danger

A thing that stops pregnancy, for example a pill or condom

A thing that stores information like files or photos so you can use it later

intrauterine device
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A small device put inside the womb to prevent pregnancy

optical device
  • Specialized
1 4.7

A tool that uses light to make things easier to see like microscopes or cameras

output device
  • Specialized
1 3.5

Something that sends computer information so people can see or hear it, like a screen

1 3.8

A thing that uses sound or light to warn people and give information

A weapon made to injure or kill people rather than damage machines

Equipment that helps a person exercise, for example a bike or weights

holding device
  • Specialized
1 3.6

A tool that keeps something steady in one place

1 6.4

Something people use to prevent pregnancy, like a condom or diaphragm

peripheral device
  • Specialized
1 4.7

An electronic machine like a printer that connects to a computer to let you enter, see or save information

semiconductor device
  • Specialized
1 4.0

An electronic part made from a material that partly conducts electricity and controls its flow in circuits, like transistors

A tool like a vacuum or brush that cleans surfaces

data input device
  • Specialized
3.1

A tool used to put information into a computer, like a keyboard or mouse

device characteristic
  • Specialized
6.0

A thing about a device you can measure under certain conditions, like how much power it uses

5.1

A machine that uses electricity and moving parts to do work, like an elevator

A machine that makes, sends, or changes sound

9.5

A climbing tool that automatically locks and stops the rope if a climber falls

lifting device
  • Specialized
3.8

A machine that raises heavy things like a crane or forklift

guidance device
  • Specialized
5.8

A machine that automatically controls the path of a vehicle like a missile or aircraft

input/output device
  • Specialized
3.8

A device that takes information into a computer and sends information out, like a printer or touchscreen

I/O device
  • Specialized
3.7

A machine like a keyboard or printer that moves information between a computer and a user

IO device
  • Specialized
4.6

A machine like a keyboard or monitor that sends data into and out of a computer

projective device
  • Specialized
9.9

A test that asks people to say what unclear pictures or situations show to reveal hidden feelings

7.9

A tube-shaped tool that controls a climbing rope to stop falls or lower someone

How Artistic

technique
879 3.3
device
  • Literature
12 5.5
method
2.2
gimmick
64 5.6

Surface Forms

device singular
devices plural

Etymology

Device originally meant a 'planned design' from Latin dividere 'to divide', so imagine a writer arranging parts of a story on purpose. That's why device can mean a method or technique in art or writing used to create a particular effect.