prestidigitation

noun
/ˌpɹɛstɪˌdɪd͡ʒɪˈteɪʃən/UK/ˌpɹɛstəˌdɪd͡ʒɪˈteɪʃən/US

Etymology

From French prestidigitation, from French preste (“nimble, quick”) + Latin digitus (“finger”) + French -ation (process suffix). The word has a different origin from prestige, even though this in the past has meant “delusion, illusion, trick”.

  1. borrowed from prestidigitation

Definitions

  1. A performance of or skill in performing magic or conjuring tricks with the hands.

    • My favorite prestidigitation was when he pulled the live dove out of that tiny scarf.
  2. A show of skill or deceitful cleverness.

    • His writing was peppered with verbal tricks and prestidigitation.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for prestidigitation. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

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