legerdemain

Legerdemain is defined as trickery or magic, or using your hands skillfully to perform tricks.

(noun)

When a magician is quick with his hands and is able to deceive you into believing he is making magic, this is an example of legerdemain.

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See legerdemain in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

  1. sleight of hand; skill of a stage magician
  2. trickery of any sort; deceit

Origin: ME < MFr leger de main, lit., light of hand < leger (< LL *levarius < L levis, light) + de (< L de, of, from) + main < L manus, hand

See legerdemain in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. Sleight of hand.
  2. A show of skill or deceitful cleverness: financial legerdemain.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English legerdemayn

Origin: , from Old French leger de main

Origin: : leger, light (from Vulgar Latin *leviārius, from Latin levis; see legwh- in Indo-European roots)

Origin: + de, of (from Latin ; see de-)

Origin: + main, hand; see mortmain

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