In-vĕnt′, v. t.

v. t. [imp. & p. p. INVENTED; p. pr. & vb. n. INVENTING.] [Lat. invenīre, inventum, ‘to come upon, to find, from prefix in and venīre, to come; Fr. inventer, Sp. inventor, It. inventare.]

1Sense 1. To come or light upon; to hit on; to meet; to find. [Obs.]

Or Bacchus’ merry fruit they did invent. Spenser.

2Sense 2. To discover, commonly by study or inquiry; to find out; to devise; to contrive or produce. “Whate’er his cruel malice could invent.” Shak.

3Sense 3. To make; to manufacture; hence, to fabricate; to forge; to frame; — in a good sense; as, to invent the machinery of a poem; — in a bad sense; as, to invent a falsehood.

He had invented some circumstances, and put the worst possible construction on others. W. Scott.

Synonyms—To discover; contrive; devise; frame. See DISCOVER.