A contrivance. The word is found in some of the southern counties of England.
1837. Ever since these black stones [anthracite coal] was brought to town, the wood-sawyers and pilers, and them soap-fat and hickory-ashes men, has been going down; and, for my part, I can’t say as how I see what’s to be the end of all their new-fangled contraptions.—J. C. Neal, ‘Charcoal Sketches,’ p. 95.
1842. It’s my vote that we turn these contraptions, the whole bilin’ on ’em, right out into the shed, and jist make up a good big shake-down, with the buffaloes and cushions.—Mrs. Kirkland, ‘Forest Life,’ i. 118.
1843. It was no contemptible smoke-jack, steam-spit, rotary-stove contraption to cook a morsel of meat and a half a peck of potatoes with an apron of chips!—B. R. Hall (‘Robert Carlton’), ‘The New Purchase,’ ii. 287.
1848. The fust room I got into was the patent-office, whar, the Lord knows, I seed more Yankee contraptions of one kind and another, than ever I thought ther was in the known world.—W. T. Thompson, ‘Major Jones’s Sketches of Travel,’ p. 54 (Phila.).
1848. To see a little iron contraption take a piece of lether and a coil of wire … went a little ahed of any thing I ever heard or dreamed of.—Id., p. 137.
1852. [They] have managed to take with them many of them ar’ little woman contraptions you speak on.—James Weir, ‘Simon Kenton,’ p. 190 (Phila.).
1857. ‘I once knew a druggist,’ said I, ‘who got along so well in dealing in all sorts of rip-raps and in such a rumble-come-tumbled mess of miscellaneous contraptions, that he at last undertook to go heavily into the fancy segar-case business.’—Knick. Mag., xlix. 277 (March).
1902. Maybe you noticed that fancy contraption [a hat-rack] in the hall as you come in.—W. N. Harben, ‘Abner Daniel,’ p. 9.
1909. Too many contraptions ’bout [that sugar evaporator,] ’cordin’ to my way o’ thinkin’, Paddle’s good enough for me.—N.Y. Ev. Post, April 12.
