legerdemain

noun

leg·​er·​de·​main ˌle-jər-də-ˈmān 

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." 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. (That term for dexterity or skill in using one's hands makes use of sleight, an old word from Middle English that derives from an Old Norse word meaning "sly.") In modern times, a feat of legerdemain can even be accomplished without using your hands, as in, for example, "an impressive bit of financial legerdemain."

Synonyms

• conjuring
• hocus-pocus
• magic
• prestidigitation

Examples of legerdemain in a Sentence

the illusionist's show is an entertaining blend of legerdemain and over-the-top showmanship

the reduction of the deficit is due in part to financial legerdemain that masks the true costs of running the government

Recent Examples on the Web

Both activities depended on legerdemain and made elaborate use of optical illusions. —Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024

Any such legislative legerdemain would be an unwarranted assault to circumvent the caps. —State Senator Stephen Harding, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2024

This legerdemain enabled Bragg to circumvent the two-year misdemeanor statute of limitations — in other words, the time to charge this stale case, which is based on seven-year-old bookkeeping entries, lapsed in 2019. —The Editors, National Review, 29 May 2024

Serious people should know what an older version of antisemitic denialism was all about: a steady stream of factual nitpicks, logical inversions and rhetorical legerdemain meant to obfuscate and deny the greatest crime in history. —Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French leger de main light of hand

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

legerdemain

noun

leg·​er·​de·​main ˌlej-ərd-ə-ˈmān 

1

: sleight of hand

2

: a display of trickery