MANIPULATE

manipulate

(verb) treat manually, as with massage, for therapeutic purposed

manipulate

(verb) hold something in one’s hands and move it

manipulate, keep in line, control

(verb) maintain influence over (others or oneself) skillfully, usually to one’s advantage; “She manipulates her boss”; “She is a very controlling mother and doesn’t let her children grow up”; “The teacher knew how to keep the class in line”; “she keeps in line”

rig, manipulate

(verb) manipulate in a fraudulent manner; “rig prices”

manipulate, pull strings, pull wires

(verb) influence or control shrewdly or deviously; “He manipulated public opinion in his favor”

fudge, manipulate, fake, falsify, cook, wangle, misrepresent

(verb) tamper, with the purpose of deception; “Fudge the figures”; “cook the books”; “falsify the data”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

---

Etymology

Verb

manipulate (third-person singular simple present manipulates, present participle manipulating, simple past and past participle manipulated)

(transitive) To move, arrange or operate something using the hands

(transitive) To influence, manage, direct, control or tamper with something

(transitive, medicine) To handle and move a body part, either as an examination or for a therapeutic purpose

(transitive) To influence or control someone in order to achieve a specific purpose, especially one that is unknown to the one being manipulated and beneficial to the manipulator; to use

(intransitive, dated) To use the hands, especially in scientific experiments.

Source: Wiktionary

---

Ma*nip"u*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Manipulated; p. pr. & vb. n. Manipulating.] Etym: [LL. manipulatus, p. p. of manipulare to lead by the hand, fr. L. manipulus. See Maniple.]

1. To treat, work, or operate with the hands, especially when knowledge and dexterity are required; to manage in hand work; to handle; as, to manipulate scientific apparatus.

2. To control the action of, by management; as, to manipulate a convention of delegates; to manipulate the stock market; also, to manage artfully or fraudulently; as, to manipulate accounts, or election returns.

Ma*nip"u*late, v. i.

Definition: To use the hands in dexterous operations; to do hand work; specifically, to manage the apparatus or instruments used in scientific work, or in artistic or mechanical processes; also, specifically, to use the hand in mesmeric operations.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

---