Forms: 4–6 controve, (4 -oeve, -eoue), 4–5 -eve, -eeve, 5–6 -yve, 6– contrive, (5–6 Sc. contruve). (Sylvester has analogical pa. pple. contriven, after striven, etc.) [a. OF. controve-r, with stem-stress contreuve = It. controvare, f. con- together, etc. + trovāre, OF. trover, mod.F. trouver to find:—L. turbare to disturb, stir up, wake up, etc. (Controver thus answered formally to L. conturbāre.) The vowel-mutation according to stress, regular in OF. (cf. mouvoir, meuve, pouvoir, peut, etc.), has in mod.F. been leveled under ou (from o), but some F. dialects have treuver, treuve. ME. had orig. both controve and contreve (from -euve, -oeve); cf. move, meve, prove, preve, people; controve and its Sc. repr. contruve survived to the 16th c.; but, otherwise than in move, prove, the finally prevailing form was contreve; cf. retrieve. From the 15th c. this became contrive, a phonetic change still unexplained: cf. brier, friar, tire. The sense ‘invent with ingenuity’ has passed in F. into that of ‘invent fraudulently or falsely’; though this is often present in Eng., it has never superseded the original good or neutral sense.]
1. trans. To invent, devise, excogitate with ingenuity and cleverness (any plan or purpose).
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace, 14676. A selkouþ … neuere contreued in elde ne ȝouþe. Ibid. (c. 1330), Chron. (1810), 241. A man þat oste salle lede, & controues no quayntise, Howe he disceit salle drede, scaþe vmwhile salle rise.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 1561. Þam þat new gyses controves.
1461. Liber Pluscardensis, XI. viii. All thir foulis that melody contruvis.
1602. Shaks., Ham., II. ii. 216. I will … sodainely contriue the meanes of meeting betweene him, and my daughter.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. (1843), 5. The prince’s going into Spain … was contrived wholly by the duke.
1784. Cowper, Task, IV. 778. How close-pent man regrets The country, with what ardour he contrives A peep at Nature, when he can no more.
1864. Tennyson, Aylmer’s Field, 781. Grossly contriving their dear daughter’s good … Ignorant, devising their own daughter’s death!
b. esp. used of the planning or plotting of evil devices, treason, treachery, murder, etc.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 266. Thenne founden þay fylþe in fleschlych dedez & controeued agayn kynde contrare werkez.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 7146. He þoughte on oþer wyse To contreoue a fals queyntyse.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. X. 19. Who-so can contreue deceytes an conspire wronges … to conseille is clepid.
c. 1450. Castle Hd. Life St. Cuthb. (Surtees), 2484. And to his neghbure nane euell controues.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VIII. i. 8. Incontinent togidder … All Latium assemblit, sone controvit [ed. 1553 contruuit] Ane coniuratioun or haisty convyne.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., ix. 28. A plot of Treason, which they had contrived together.
1713. Steele, Guardian, No. 17, ¶ 7. To contrive the debauchery of your child.
1807. W. Taylor, in Ann. Rev., V. 501. This apostate contrives treachery against Huon.
† c. Const. with inf. Obs.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 240. Þe kyng controued þer ouer a brigge forto make.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVI. 137. Þe iewes … casten & contreueden to kulle hym whan þei miȝte.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst. (1841), 241. A tretowre xal countyrfe his deth to fortyfye.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XLIII. iv. To make relacion, In bokes many I shall of him contrive.
1607. Shaks., Cor., III. iii. 63. We charge you, that you have contriu’d … to winde Your selfe into a power tyrannicall.
1709. Strype, Ann. Ref., I. xxxii. 367. All the foreign papal powers contrived to dethrone or destroy her.
1784. Cowper, Task, VI. 205. Thus dream they, and contrive to save a God The incumbrance of his own concerns.
† 2. intr. To make use of contrivance or ingenuity; to form devices; to plot, conspire. Obs.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxvi. 241. Than wolde we knawe why þis knave þus cursidly contryued.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., IV. i. 360. Thou hast contriu’d against the very life Of the defendant. Ibid. (1601), Jul. C., II. iii. 16. The Fates with Traitors do contrive.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., I. ii. (1851), 102. That men should be tampring and contriving in his worship.
3. trans. To devise, invent, design (a material structure, literary composition, institution, etc.).
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. X. 177. Of alkinnes craftes I contreued toles. Ibid. (1393), C. XV. 161. Was neuere creature … þat knew wel þe bygynnynge Bote kynde [i.e., Nature], þat contreeuede hit furst.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., Prol. (1539), 1. By experience I contriued, compiled, and made a treatise.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 206. Some loathsome dash the herald will contrive.
1696. Whiston, Th. Earth, III. (1722), 267. Such a peculiar Bottom … as our great Ships are contrived with.
1736. Berkeley, Wks., III. 521. The bank called the general bank of France, contrived by Mr. Law.
1784. Cowper, Task, I. 60. But elbows still were wanting; these, some say, An alderman of Cripplegate contrived.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Ability, Wks. (Bohn), II. 34. Broad-shouldered Liverpool merchants for whom Stephenson and Brunel are contriving locomotives and a tubular bridge.
absol. 1701. Farquhar, Sir H. Wildair, V. vi. I’ll have the music from both houses; Pawlet and Locket shall contrive for our taste.
† 4. To find out or discover (as the solution of a problem or riddle); to come to understand. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 90. These olde philosophres wise Of all this worldes erthe rounde, How large, how thicke was the grounde Contrived in thexperience.
c. 1400. York Myst., xxx. 434. No cause can I kyndely contryue Þat why he schulde lose þus his liffe.
c. 1450. Castle Hd. Life St. Cuthb. (Surtees), 440. God spak in him þe smyth controue [intellexit].
1600. Thynne, Epigrams, No. 55. Deepe witted menn b’experience haue contrived, that mariage good and quiet is ech hower, where the mans heringe organs are deprived of their right vse.
[1784. Cowper, Task, III. 156. Some … Contrive creation; travel nature up To the sharp peak of her sublimest height, And tell us whence the stars.]
† 5. To make up, concoct, fabricate, invent. Obs. [Cf. F. controuver ‘to faine, forge, inuent, imagine out of his own brain’ (Cotgr.).]
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 4249. Though he nought fond, yet would he [Wicked Tongue] lie … Discordaunt ever fro armonye, And distoned from melodie, Controve he wolde.
c. 1450. Henryson, Mor. Fab., 74. Thine argument is false and eke contrufed.
1468. Paston Lett., No. 582, II. 313. The malyciouse contryved talys that Frere Brakley … and othyrs ymagyned ontruly … of me.
6. To succeed in bringing to pass; to ‘manage,’ to effect (a purpose).
1530. Palsgr., 497/2. I contryve, I bringe to passe a mater by sekyng of my wyttes, Je machine. Ibid. It was harde to do, but I have contryved it at the laste.
a. 1593. Marlowe, Dido, V. i. A desperate charge, which neither art nor reason may achieve, Nor I devise by what means to contrive.
a. 1656. Bp. Hall, in Rem. Wks., Life (1660), 22. It pleased God inexpectedly to contrive the change of my station.
1726. W. R. Chetwood, Adv. Capt. R. Boyle, 211. Tho’ the Horse was sold for twenty Pistoles, we contriv’d it so, that my Landlord seiz’d the Money for his Reckoning.
1820. Shelley, Œdipus, I. 135. Prophecies when once they get abroad … Contrive their own fulfilment.
b. Const. with inf. Extended ironically to action that has the result of bringing about an unintended or undesired event.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 55. Th’ industrious Kind … with their Stores of gather’d Glue, contrive To stop the Vents, and Crannies of their Hive.
1716–8. Pope, in Lady M. W. Montague’s Lett., I. xxvi. 81. You have contrived to say … most pleasing things.
1777. Priestley, Matt. & Spir. (1782), I. Pref. 31. Members of the Church of England … contrive to differ among themselves.
1828. Southey, Ep. Allan Cunningham. He has just contrived to keep Out of rope’s reach, and will come off this time For transportation.
1853. Kingsley, Hypatia, xxvi. The negress put the cup to her lips, and contrived, for her own reasons, to spill the contents unobserved.
1888. Skeat, Chaucer’s Minor P., Introd. p. xxxvii. An editor should always look at the MSS. for himself, if he can possibly contrive to do so.
† 7. To bring by ingenuity or skill into a place, position, or form. Also in analogous uses with to, in, upon. Obs.
1577. Hanmer, Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619), 109. [He] contrived such things as he had heard of his master, into short compendious notes.
1603. Florio, Montaigne, 163. Sometimes I addresse my judgement and contrive it to a noble and outworne subject.
1606. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. III. iii. The Lawe How-much-fold sence is in few words contriuen!
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, VIII. iii. 618. So tough, that being contrived in building, it lasteth for ever.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl., V. ix. (1675), 332. A few such Closets … might be easily enlarged, and contrived into an Hospital.
1669. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., V. 86. The half Bullets of Musquets contrived upon them.
a. 1687. Sancroft, Let., in Clarendon’s Hist. Reb., I. 6. MS. … consisting of xvi books, contriv’d into 92 quires.
1701. Collier, M. Aurel. (1726), 124. He was afraid his son might make a false step … the notions contrived into him miscarry.
