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deft

[ deft ]
/ dɛft /
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adjective, deft·er, deft·est.
dexterous; nimble; skillful; clever: deft hands;a deft mechanic.
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Origin of deft

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; variant of daft

synonym study for deft

See dexterous.

OTHER WORDS FROM deft

deft·ly, adverbdeft·ness, nounun·deft, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use deft in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for deft

deft
/ (dɛft) /

adjective
quick and neat in movement; nimble; dexterous

Derived forms of deft

deftly, adverbdeftness, noun

Word Origin for deft

C13 (in the sense: gentle): see daft
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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