Prestidigitation
/ˌprɛs.tɪˌdɪdʒ.ɪˈteɪ.ʃən/noun
Sleight of hand or skillful manual deception, especially in magic tricks.
Did you know?Prestidigitation was coined in the 19th century from Latin roots meaning “quick finger,” so the word itself is basically a magician’s boast turned into a technical term.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
praestus
“ready, at hand”
Latin
Latin
digitus
“finger, toe”
19th Century
French
prestidigitation
“sleight of hand; conjuring”
19th Century
English
prestidigitation
“sleight of hand or magic trickery”
Modern English
English
prestidigitation
“skillful manual deception, especially in magic tricks”