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Light of hand
- In Middle French, folks who were clever enough to fool others with fast-fingered illusions were described as leger de main, literally "light of hand." English speakers condensed that phrase into a noun when they borrowed it in the 15th century and began using it as an alternative to the older sleight of hand.
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1. : sleight of hand. displays legerdemain with cards and coins. 2. : a display of skill or adroitness. a remarkable piece of diplomatic legerdemain Anthony West. Did you know? In Middle French, folks who were clever enough to fool others with fast-fingered illusions were described as leger de main, literally "light of hand."
LEGERDEMAIN definition: 1. skilful hiding of the truth in order to trick people: 2. skilful tricks done as part of a…. Learn more.
- Etymology
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- Noun
From Middle English legerdemeyn, lechardemane, from Old French léger de main (literally “light of hand”), a phrase that meant “dexterous, skillful at fooling others (especially through sleights of hand”), which was however treated as a noun when it was borrowed by late Middle English. The Modern French descendant léger de mainof the Old French phra...
(UK) IPA(key): /ˌlɛd͡ʒ.ə.dɨˈmeɪn/(US) IPA(key): /ˈlɛd͡ʒ.əɹ.dəˌmeɪn/Hyphenation: leg‧er‧de‧mainlegerdemain (usually uncountable, plural legerdemains) 1. Sleight of hand; "magic" trickery. 1.1. 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene.[…], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC: 1.1.1. For he in slights and jugling feates did flow, / And of legierdemaynethe mysteries did know. 1.2. 2021 March 8, Michael C....
Legerdemain definition: sleight of hand.. See examples of LEGERDEMAIN used in a sentence.
4 days ago · 1. another name for sleight of hand. 2. cunning deception or trickery. Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers. Derived forms. legerdemainist (ˌlegerdeˈmainist) noun. Word origin. C15: from Old French: light of hand. Word Frequency. legerdemain in American English. (ˌlɛdʒərdɪˈmeɪn ) noun. 1.
/ˌˈlɛdʒərdəˌˈmeɪn/ IPA guide. Other forms: legerdemains. When a magician waves his hands over a hat and pulls out a rabbit, he is performing an act of legerdemain or trickery. Legerdemain can be used literally to describe a magic trick, or figuratively to describe some other kind of trickery or deceit.
legerdemain. noun. /ˈledʒədəmeɪn/. /ˈledʒərdəmeɪn/. (from French, formal) (also sleight of hand) [uncountable] movements of your hand that are done with skill so that other people cannot see them. Word Origin.
