Legerdemain
/ˌlɛdʒərdəˈmeɪn/noun
Skillful deception or trickery, especially through sleight of hand.
Did you know?The word began as a French description of conjuring and sleight of hand, linking linguistic “lightness” with the magician’s ability to make objects seem to vanish.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*legwh-
“Light, not heavy; a reconstructed root associated with ease and weightlessness”
Classical Latin
Latin
levis
“Light in weight; also slight or unburdened”
12th–13th Century
Old French
legier
“Light, nimble, or quick; the ancestor of modern French léger”
13th–15th Century
Middle French
leger de main
“Literally “light of hand,” describing dexterous sleight of hand”
15th Century
English
legerdemain
“Trickery or conjuring performed through manual dexterity”
Modern English
English
legerdemain
“Deceptive skill, especially clever manipulation or sleight of hand”