The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Devise \De*vise"\, n. [OF. devise division, deliberation, wish,
   will, testament. See Device.]
   1. The act of giving or disposing of real estate by will; --
      sometimes improperly applied to a bequest of personal
      estate.
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   2. A will or testament, conveying real estate; the clause of
      a will making a gift of real property.
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            Fines upon devises were still exacted. --Bancroft.
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   3. Property devised, or given by will.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Devise \De*vise"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Devised; p. pr. & vb.
   n. Devising.] [OF. deviser to distribute, regulate, direct,
   relate, F., to chat, fr. L. divisus divided, distributed, p.
   p. of dividere. See Divide, and cf. Device.]
   1. To form in the mind by new combinations of ideas, new
      applications of principles, or new arrangement of parts;
      to formulate by thought; to contrive; to excogitate; to
      invent; to plan; to scheme; as, to devise an engine, a new
      mode of writing, a plan of defense, or an argument.
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            To devise curious works.              --Ex. CCTV.
                                                  32.
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            Devising schemes to realize his ambitious views.
                                                  --Bancroft.
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   2. To plan or scheme for; to purpose to obtain.
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            For wisdom is most riches; fools therefore
            They are which fortunes do by vows devise.
                                                  --Spenser.
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   3. To say; to relate; to describe. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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   4. To imagine; to guess. [Obs.] --Spenser.
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   5. (Law) To give by will; -- used of real estate; formerly,
      also, of chattels.

   Syn: To bequeath; invent; discover; contrive; excogitate;
        imagine; plan; scheme. See Bequeath.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Devise \De*vise"\, n.
   Device. See Device. [Obs.]
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Devise \De*vise"\, v. i.
   To form a scheme; to lay a plan; to contrive; to consider.
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         I thought, devised, and Pallas heard my prayer. --Pope.
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   Note: Devise was formerly followed by of; as, let us devise
         of ease. --Spenser.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

devise
    n 1: a will disposing of real property
    2: (law) a gift of real property by will
    v 1: come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or
         principle) after a mental effort; "excogitate a way to
         measure the speed of light" [syn: invent, contrive,
         devise, excogitate, formulate, forge]
    2: arrange by systematic planning and united effort; "machinate
       a plot"; "organize a strike"; "devise a plan to take over the
       director's office" [syn: organize, organise, prepare,
       devise, get up, machinate]
    3: give by will, especially real property

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

134 Moby Thesaurus words for "devise":
   add a codicil, arrange, assemble, assign, attested copy, beget,
   bequeath, bequeathal, bequest, bestow, blueprint, breed,
   bring forth, bring into being, build, calculate, call into being,
   cast, chart, codicil, cogitate, coin, collogue, collude, compose,
   compound, conceive, concert, concoct, connive, conspire, construct,
   contrive, convey, cook up, create, cut out, design, develop,
   discover, dispose of, dope out, draft, dream up, elaborate,
   engender, entail, erect, evolve, execute a will, extrude,
   fabricate, fashion, figure, forecast, forge, form, formulate,
   frame, fudge together, generate, get up, give, give being to,
   give rise to, hand down, hand on, hatch, hatch up, improvise,
   indite, inheritance, intend, intrigue, invent, lay plans, leave,
   legacy, legate, machinate, make, make a bequest, make a projection,
   make a will, make arrangements, make do with, make up, manufacture,
   mature, methodize, mint, mold, organize, originate, pass on,
   patch together, piece together, plan, plan ahead, prearrange,
   prefabricate, prepare, probate, procreate, produce, program,
   project, put together, put up, raise, rationalize, rear, run up,
   schedule, schematize, scheme, set up, shape, spawn, strike out,
   systematize, testament, think out, think up, transfer, transmit,
   vamp up, whomp up, will, will and bequeath, will to, work out,
   work up, write



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

DEVISEE. A person to whom a devise has been made.
     2. All persons who are in rerum natura, and even embryos, may be
devisees, unless excepted by some positive law. In general, he who can
acquire property by his labor and industry, may receive a devise. C. & N.
353.