prestidigitation
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- prestidigitator noun
- prestidigitatorial adjective
- prestidigitatory adjective
Etymology
Origin of prestidigitation
First recorded in 1840–45; from French preste “nimble” (from Italian presto ) + Latin digit(us) “finger” + French -ation; or perhaps based on prestigiateur “juggler, conjurer,” derivative of Latin praestīgiae “juggler's tricks”; presto, prestige, digit, -ation
Explanation
Prestidigitation is the process of doing a magic trick by hand, also called "sleight of hand." Do you see digits in prestidigitation? Digits are your fingers, so someone skilled at prestidigitation has some tricky fingers. One of the most famous prestidigitators in modern history was Howard Thurston, especially known for card tricks. In his most famous trick, audience members would pick cards from a deck. Thurston would place the deck in a glass on stage, and then he would make the chosen cards rise from the glass while he was still in the audience. That's impressive prestidigitation!
Vocabulary lists containing prestidigitation
There's A Word for That
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Smoke and Mirrors: The Lingo of Illusion and Deception
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Some Latin-based Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Still, the biggest act of prestidigitation is yet to come, and actually occurs after Pence provides his proof texts.
From Salon • Aug. 27, 2023
Roberts tried to work around this problem through some trademark prestidigitation.
From Slate • Jun. 27, 2023
You could argue that this is all prestidigitation, the conjuring of money from nothing.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2021
As in Mr. Tiffany’s “Harry Potter” production, such effects are achieved through purely theatrical means of prestidigitation, with an often bare stage mottled into multidimensionality by Paule Constable’s lighting.
From New York Times • Jan. 4, 2018
All these extraordinary manœuvres cannot be attributed to prestidigitation.
From Mysterious Psychic Forces An Account of the Author's Investigations in Psychical Research, Together with Those of Other European Savants by Flammarion, Camille
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
