In Unix/Linux terminology, are the words 'device' and 'drive' synonymous?
Is 'device' synonymous with 'drive' in Unix-like OS's?
devices;terminology
No.  Drives are devices, but not all devices are drives.The Wikipedia article on device files lists a number of non-drive devices.  For example, audio hardware is a device.  Serial & parallel ports are devices.  USB-connected gadgets are devices.Keep in mind that some devices that are not drives may identify as such, a noteworthy example is most Android devices that identify as a drive but use a mechanism other than a drive unless it is mounted as USB storage.