SINCE 1828
Italian hand
nounDefinition of Italian hand
1
: a book hand characterized by roundness and a fine sloping line developed about the 12th century a.d. in Italy from the Roman cursive and revived by calligraphers in the early 15th century and used as the model for the first Italian printers and for modern English handwriting — compare italic
2
: craftiness or subtlety in the conduct of political, business, or personal affairs
—usually used in the phrase fine Italian hand
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