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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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noun. leg· er· de· main ˌle-jər-də-ˈmān. Synonyms of legerdemain. 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.
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LEGERDEMAIN definition: 1. skilful hiding of the truth in order to trick people: 2. skilful tricks done as part of a…. Learn more.
- Etymology
- Pronunciation
- 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.
Legerdemain can be used literally to describe a magic trick, or figuratively to describe some other kind of trickery or deceit. If you and some friends cook up a scheme that involves telling complicated lies so that you can stay out all night, you are guilty of legerdemain.
1. sleight of hand. 2. trickery; deception. 3. any artful trick.
1. another name for sleight of hand. 2. cunning deception or trickery.
