different between phenomenon vs device

English

Alternative forms

• phaenomenon, phænomenon (archaic)
• phainomenon (archaic, academic, or technical)
• phœnomenon (hypercorrect, obsolete)

Etymology

From Late Latin phaenomenon (“appearance”), from Ancient Greek ?????????? (phainómenon, “thing appearing to view”), neuter present middle participle of ????? (phaín?, “I show”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /f??n?m?n?n/, /f??n?m?n?n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /f??n?m?n?n/, /f??n?m?n?n/

Noun

phenomenon (plural phenomena or (nonstandard) phenomenons or phenomenon)

1. A thing or being, event or process, perceptible through senses; or a fact or occurrence thereof.
   • 1900, Andrew Lang, The Making of Religion, ch. 1:

     The Indians, making a hasty inference from a trivial phenomenon, arrived unawares at a probably correct conclusion.

   • 2007, "Ask the Experts: Hurricanes," USA Today, 7 Nov. (retrieved 16 Jan. 2009):

     Hurricanes are a meteorological phenomenon.

2. (by extension) A knowable thing or event (eg by inference, especially in science)

3. A kind or type of phenomenon (sense 1 or 2)

4. Appearance; a perceptible aspect of something that is mutable.
   • 1662, Thomas Salusbury (translator), Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief Systems of the World, First Day:

     I verily believe that in the Moon there are no rains, for if Clouds should gather in any part thereof, as they do about the Earth, they would thereupon hide from our sight some of those things, which we with the Telescope behold in the Moon, and in a word, would some way or other change its Phœnomenon.

5. A fact or event considered very unusual, curious, or astonishing by those who witness it.
   • 1816, Sir Walter Scott, The Antiquary—Volume I, ch. 18:

     The phenomenon of a huge blazing fire, upon the opposite bank of the glen, again presented itself to the eye of the watchman. . . . He resolved to examine more nearly the object of his wonder.

6. A wonderful or very remarkable person or thing.
   • 1839, Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby, ch. 23:

     "This, sir," said Mr Vincent Crummles, bringing the maiden forward, "this is the infant phenomenon—Miss Ninetta Crummles."

   • 1888, Rudyard Kipling, "The Phantom Rickshaw":

     But, all the same, you're a phenomenon, and as queer a phenomenon as you are a blackguard.

7. (philosophy, chiefly Kantian idealism) An experienced object whose constitution reflects the order and conceptual structure imposed upon it by the human mind (especially by the powers of perception and understanding).
   • 1900, S. Tolver Preston, "Comparison of Some Views of Spencer and Kant," Mind, vol. 9, no. 34, p. 234:

     Every "phenomenon" must be, at any rate, partly subjective or dependent on the subject.

   • 1912, Roy Wood Sellars, "Is There a Cognitive Relation?" The Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods, vol. 9, no. 9, p. 232:

     The Kantian phenomenon is the real as we are compelled to think it.

Usage notes

• The universal, common, modern spelling of this term is phenomenon. Of the alternative forms listed above, phaenomenon, phænomenon, and phainomenon are etymologically consistent, retaining the ?? diphthong from its Ancient Greek etymon ?????????? (phainómenon); in the case of the first two, it is in the Romanised form of the Latin ae diphthong, whereas in the latter it is a direct transcription of the original Ancient Greek. The form spelt with œ has no etymological basis. All those alternative forms are pronounced identically with phenomenon and are archaic, except for phainomenon, which sees some technical use in academia and is pronounced with an initial f? ([fa?],).
• By far the most common and universally accepted plural form is the classical phenomena; the Anglicised phenomenons is also sometimes used. The plural form phenomena is frequently used in the singular, and the singular form is sometimes used in the plural. Arising from this nonstandard use, the double plurals phenomenas and phenomenae, as well as a form employing the greengrocer’s apostrophe — phenomena’s — are also seen.

Synonyms

• (observable fact or occurrence): event
• (unusual, curious, or astonishing fact or event): marvel, miracle, oddity, wonder, legend
• (wonderful person or thing): marvel, miracle, phenom, prodigy, wonder, legend

Antonyms

• (philosophy: experienced object structured by the mind): noumenon, thing-in-itself

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• phenomenon in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• phenomenon in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

English

Etymology

From Old French devis, from Latin divisus, past participle of dividere (“to divide”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??va?s/
• Rhymes: -a?s

Noun

device (plural devices)

1. Any piece of equipment made for a particular purpose, especially a mechanical or electrical one.
   • 1949. Geneva Convention on Road Traffic Chapter VI. Provisions Applicable to Cycles in International Traffic

     Every cycle shall be equipped with: [...] (b) an audible warning device consisting of a bell [...]
2. (computer hardware) A peripheral device; an item of hardware.
3. A project or scheme, often designed to deceive; a stratagem; an artifice.

   • His device is against Babylon, to destroy it.

   • He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

   • 1827 Hallam, Henry, The English Constitution, Harper

     Their recent device of demanding benevolences.
4. (Ireland) An improvised explosive device, home-made bomb
   • 1979 Stiff Little Fingers, "Suspect Device":

     Inflammable material is planted in my head / It's a suspect device that's left 2000 dead

   • 2014 September 3, Cliodhna Russell, The Journal "A viable device was found in Cavan today, it has now been made safe"

     THE ARMY BOMB Disposal Team rendered safe a viable device in Cavan this afternoon.

   • 2014 August 3, Louise Kelly & Conor Feehan "Suspect device found at shopping centre revealed as hoax" Irish Independent

     The army bomb squad carried out two controlled explosions on the device. It was later found that the suspect device was a hoax and not a viable explosive.

5. (rhetoric) A technique that an author or speaker uses to evoke an emotional response in the audience; a rhetorical device.
7. (heraldry) A motto, emblem, or other mark used to distinguish the bearer from others. A device differs from a badge or cognizance primarily because as it is a personal distinction, and not a badge borne by members of the same house successively.
   • 1736. O'Callaghan, Edmund Bailey. The Documentary History of the State of New York Chapter I, Article III: Enumeration of the Indian Tribes.

     The devices of these savages are the serpent, the Deer, and the Small Acorn.

8. (archaic) Power of devising; invention; contrivance.
   • 1824. Landor, Walter Savage "King Henry IV and Sir Arnold Savage" from Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen, page 44

     Moreover I must have instruments of mine own device, weighty, and exceeding costly

   • 1976. The Eagles, "Hotel California"

     And she said,

     "We are all prisoners here,

     Of our own device"

9. (law) An image used in whole or in part as a trademark or service mark.
10. (printing) An image or logo denoting official or proprietary authority or provenience.
    • 1943 United States Post Office Department. A Description of United States Postage Stamps / Issued by the Post Office Department from July 1, 1847, to April 1, 1945 [sic], USGPO, Washington, p1:

      Prior to the issuance of the first stamps, letters accepted by postmasters for dispatch were marked "Paid" by means of pen and ink or hand stamps of various designs. [...] To facilitate the handling of mail matter, some postmasters provided special stamps or devices for use on letters as evidence of the prepayment of postage.

11. (obsolete) A spectacle or show.
12. (obsolete) Opinion; decision.

Synonyms

• (piece of equipment): apparatus, appliance, equipment, gadget, design, contrivance
• (project or scheme): scheme, project, stratagem, artifice
• (obsolete, power of devising): invention, contrivance

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

Slovene

Noun

device

1. genitive singular of devica
2. nominative plural of devica
3. accusative plural of devica