legier

light, nimble

1 / 1

A white female magician deftly conceals a coin in her fingers while directing a Black spectator's attention to an empty cup.

noun

legerdemain

lej-er-duh-MAYN/ˈledʒərdəmeɪn/

Skillful use of tricks to deceive.

Etymology

legerOld Frenchlight, nimble

+deOld Frenchof

+mainOld Frenchhand

Literally 'light of hand,' the expression describes nimble hands rather than their weight. That quickness became a name for conjuring tricks and skillful deception.

Full entry

Related word entries

legerdemain