DEFT

deft, dexterous, dextrous

(adjective) skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands; “a deft waiter”; “deft fingers massaged her face”; “dexterous of hand and inventive of mind”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adjective

deft (comparative defter, superlative deftest)

Quick and neat in action; skillful.

Source: Wiktionary


Deft, a. Etym: [OE. daft, deft, becoming, mild, gentle, stupid (cf. OE. daffe, deffe, fool, coward), AS. dæft (in derivatives only) mild, gentle, fitting, seasonable; akin to dafen, gedafen, becoming, fit, Goth. gadaban to be fit. Cf. Daft, Daff, Dapper.]

Definition: Apt; fit; dexterous; clever; handy; spruce; neat. [Archaic or Poetic] "The deftest way." Shak. "Deftest feats." Gay. The limping god, do deft at his new ministry. Dryden. Let me be deft and debonair. Byron.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 December 2024

QUANDONG

(noun) Australian tree having hard white timber and glossy green leaves with white flowers followed by one-seeded glossy blue fruit


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Coffee Trivia

In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.

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