excogitationn.
/ɛksˌkɒdʒɪˈteɪʃən/ 1. The action of excogitating; thinking out; reflection, mental contrivance. Const. of.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > thought > [noun] > thinking out
excogitation1531
thinking-out1850
thinking-through1910
1531 T. Elyot Bk. named Gouernour i. xxiii. sig. Lvv To consideration pertaineth excogitation and aduisement.
1655 H. Vaughan Silex Scintillans (ed. 2) ii. Pref. sig. A3 Many of them having cast away all their fair portion of time, in..excogitation of idle words.
1759 S. Johnson Prince of Abissinia II. xliii. 117 The labour of excogitation is too violent to last long.
1854 H. Rogers Ess. (1860) II. 12 Patient excogitation must be the metaphysician's great instrument.
1864 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend (1865) I. i. ii. 5 To the excogitation of this problem, [he] had devoted many anxious hours.
2. A result of the action; a plan thought out; a contrivance, an invention.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > instrumentality > [noun] > (a) means > available means or a resource > a device, contrivance, or expedient
costOE
craftOE
custc1275
ginc1275
devicec1290
enginec1300
quaintisec1300
contrevurec1330
castc1340
knackc1369
findinga1382
wilea1400
conject14..
skiftc1400
policy?1406
subtilityc1410
policec1450
conjecturea1464
industry1477
invention1516
cunning1526
shift1530
compass1540
chevisance1548
trade1550
tour1558
fashion1562
invent?1567
expediment1571
trick1573
ingeny1588
machine1595
lock1598
contrival1602
contrivement1611
artifice1620
recipea1643
ingenuity1651
expedient1653
contrivance1661
excogitation1664
mechanism1669
expediency1683
stroke1699
spell1728
management1736
manoeuvre1769
move1794
wrinkle1817
dodge1842
jigamaree1847
quiff1881
kink1889
lurk1916
gadget1920
fastie1931
ploy1940
1664 H. Power Exper. Philos. i. 81 The second Experiment is one of the ingenious Excogitations of M. Gascoign's.
a1687 W. Petty Polit. Arithm. (1691) i 21 All these Particulars, said to be the subtile Excogitations of the Hollanders.
1706 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) Excogitation, an Invention or Device.
1721–1800 in N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict.
1748 T. Smollett Roderick Random II. xliv. 76 I will impart my own simple excogitations.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online September 2018).
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