sleight of hand
noun
skill in feats requiring quick and clever movements of the hands, especially for entertainment or deception, as jugglery, card or coin magic, etc.; legerdemain.
the performance of such feats.
a feat of legerdemain.
skill in deception.
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Origin of sleight of hand
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400
Words nearby sleight of hand
sleeving, sleigh, sleigh bed, sleigh bell, sleight, sleight of hand, sleipnir, slender, slender loris, slenderize, slenderness ratio
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for sleight of hand
British Dictionary definitions for sleight of hand
sleight of hand
noun
manual dexterity used in performing conjuring tricks
the performance of such tricks
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
Idioms and Phrases with sleight of hand
sleight of hand
Trickery, deviousness, as in By some sleight of hand they managed to overlook all bonuses. This term alludes to the performance of magic tricks with the hands. Its figurative use dates from about 1700.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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