legerdemain

Founding-era definition · Webster's 1828 American Dictionary

LEG'ERDEMAIN, noun [See Light.] Slight of hand; a deceptive performance which depends on dexterity of hand; a trick performed with such art and adroitness, that the manner or art eludes observation. The word is sometimes used adjectively; as a legerdemain trick.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI

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