Deft
/dɛft/noun
Skillful and quick in movement or action.
Did you know?Deft ultimately comes from Old English *gedæfte*, linked to the idea of being fitting, gentle, or well-behaved, showing how “skill” and “rightness” were once tightly bound together.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*ga-þaftiz
“fit, suitable, gentle”
Old English
OE
gedæfte
“mild, gentle, fitting”
Middle English
ME
deft
“proper, seemly, graceful; later skillful”
16th Century
English
deft
“neat, dexterous, skillful”
Modern English
English
deft
“skillful and quick in action”
Explore more surprising origins