From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
contrive
v 1: make or work out a plan for; devise; "They contrived to
murder their boss"; "design a new sales strategy"; "plan an
attack" [syn: plan, project, contrive, design]
2: 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]
3: put or send forth; "She threw the flashlight beam into the
corner"; "The setting sun threw long shadows"; "cast a
spell"; "cast a warm light" [syn: project, cast,
contrive, throw]