Any piece of equipment made for a particular purpose, especially a mechanical or electrical one.
What is device?
• A peripheral device; an item of hardware.
• A project or scheme, often designed to deceive; a stratagem; an artifice. 1602, Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor. "This is our device,/ That Falstaff at that oak shall meet with us."
• An improvised explosive device, home-made bomb
• A technique that an author or speaker uses to evoke an emotional response in the audience; a rhetorical device.
• A motto, emblem, or other mark used to distinguish the bearer from others. A device differs from a badge or cognizance primarily as it is a personal distinction, and not a badge borne by members of the same house successively.
• Power of devising; invention; contrivance.
• An image used in whole or in part as a trademark or service mark.
• An image or logo denoting official or proprietary authority or provenience.
• Any specific class of wordplay element in a cryptic crossword.
• A spectacle or show.
• Opinion; decision.
Why device matters
device appears in U.S. legal practice across multiple practice areas. Knowing what it means — and when it applies — can determine the outcome of motions, filings, and negotiations. For non-lawyers, the value of looking up a precise definition is that legal terms often carry meanings that differ from everyday usage; relying on the common meaning can lead to costly missteps.
How device works in practice
In practice, device is invoked when parties, judges, or attorneys need to identify the legal status of an issue, the rights of those involved, or the procedural step required next. The definition shown above is sourced from Wiktionary , which is widely cited in U.S. legal practice. Because U.S. law is jurisdictionally layered — federal, state, and sometimes local — the precise application of the term can vary by court, so check the controlling authority for your specific case.