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artful

adj
/ˈɑːtf(ʊ)l/US

Etymology

From art (“skill that is attained by study, practice, or observation”) + -ful (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, with the sense of being full of, tending to, or thoroughly possessing the quality expressed by the noun).

  1. derived from artem
  2. derived from art
  3. inherited from art
  4. suffixed as artful — “art + ful”

Definitions

  1. Characterized by, or performed with, cleverness or contrivance

    Characterized by, or performed with, cleverness or contrivance; clever, ingenious.

    • The nights ſtrange proſpects, made to feede the eyes; / With Artfull fyres, mounted in the skies: / Graced with horred claps of ſulphury thunders; / May make your mind, Iehouahs greater wonders.
    • The doctrine that we can discover facts, detect the hidden processes of nature, by an artful manipulation of language, is so contrary to common sense, that a person must have made some advances in philosophy to believe it; […]

  2. Not naturally produced

    Not naturally produced; artificial; imitative.

    • Some of this Artfull coulour now I want, / VVhich from the Muſes I deſire to borrow, / In Melancholly Priam to diſpaint / The perfect Image and true face of Sorrow, […]
    • But oh! vvith Noon-day Heats oppreſs'd, / My aking Temples call for Reſt! / In yon cool Grotto's artful Night / Refreſhing Slumbers I'll invite, […]
    • The kingly bard / Must smite the chords rudely and hard, / As with hammer or with mace; / That they may render back / Artful thunder, which conveys / Secrets of the solar track, / Sparks of the supersolar blaze.

  3. Exhibiting or using much art or skill

    Exhibiting or using much art or skill; dexterous; skilful.

    • VVhat ſtrength of arm, or Art-full ſtratagem, / From Nile’s fell Rover could deliver them, / VVho runs, and rovves, vvarring by Land and VVater / 'Gainſt Men and Fiſhes, ſubiect to his ſlaughter?
    • Spir[it]. VVhat voice is that, my yong Lord? ſpeak agen. […] Eld[er] bro[ther]. Thyrſis? vvhoſe artfull ſtrains have oft delayed / The huddling brook to heare his madrigale, / And ſvveeten'd every muskroſe of the dale, […]
  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. Skilful at using dishonest or unfair means to achieve a purpose

      Skilful at using dishonest or unfair means to achieve a purpose; crafty, cunning.

      • "Now, this is a very artful dog," said Mr. Boffin, with a deep look. "This is a longer-headed schemer than I thought him.["]
      • But now he was little more than a whimpering oyster led to be devoured on the sands of a Southern sea by the artful walrus, Circumstance, and the implacable carpenter, Fate.

    2. Knowledgeable about the liberal arts

      Knowledgeable about the liberal arts; learned, wise.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at artful. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01artful02artificial03fake04fraudulently05fraudulent06deception07schemes08scheme

A definitional loop anchored at artful. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

8 hops · closes at artful

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA