prestidigitation en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˌpɹɛstəˌdɪd͡ʒɪˈteɪʃən/ (US)
- /ˌpɹɛstɪˌdɪd͡ʒɪˈteɪʃən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From French prestidigitation, from French preste (“nimble, quick”) + Latin digitus (“finger”) + French -ation (process suffix). The word has a different origin from prestige, even though this in the past has meant “delusion, illusion, trick”.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) A performance of or skill in performing magic or conjuring tricks with the hands.
My favorite prestidigitation was when he pulled the live dove out of that tiny scarf.
He borrowed another hat and displayed its perfect emptiness; he held up his empty hands: "This is one of the most marvellous bits of prestidigitation known," he said. "You have all seen this hat holds nothing in the world: I will now see if I can extract anything from its emptiness. You can all observe my hands go nowhere but into the hat, and they are both open and turned to you. Yet what is this?"
1897, Ethel Turner, The Child of the Children:
-
(broadly, countable, uncountable) A show of skill or deceitful cleverness.
His writing was peppered with verbal tricks and prestidigitation.
The more modest place became the picture better; yet, as my eyes grew accustomed to the half-light, all the characteristic qualities came out--all the hesitations disguised as audacities, the tricks of prestidigitation by which, with such consummate skill, he managed to divert attention from the real business of the picture to some pretty irrelevance of detail.
1908, Edith Wharton, The Verdict:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| prestidigitations | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Hypernyms
Relateds
Synonyms
palmistry · deceit · prestigiation · jugglery · fiddle · legerdemain · mislead · Punic faith · deception · magic · hype · swack · subterfuge · prestidigitation · dweomercraft · legerdemain · legerdemain · sleight of hand · hocus-pocus · jugglery · imposition · ruse · sleight of hand · conjuration · dupery · illusionism · prestidigitation · conjuring · fetch · list · trickery · hocus-pocus · rinky-dink · legerdemain · sleight of hand · sleight of hand
Translations (29)
fr prestidigitation (deceitful cleverness) · pl szalbierstwo (deceitful cleverness) · es prestidigitación (deceitful cleverness) · hu szemfényvesztés (deceitful cleverness) · de Taschenspielertrick (deceitful cleverness) · el ταχυδακτυλουργία (sleight of hand) · fr prestidigitation (sleight of hand) · el ταχυδακτυλουργία (deceitful cleverness) · hu mutatvány (sleight of hand) · bg ловкост (deceitful cleverness) · fi näppäryys (sleight of hand) · fi silmänkääntötemppu (sleight of hand) · it prestidigitazione (sleight of hand) · fi sorminäppäryys (sleight of hand) · yue 把戲 /把戏 (sleight of hand) · de Taschenspielertrick (sleight of hand) · hu bűvészkedés (deceitful cleverness) · pl prestidigitatorstwo (sleight of hand) · ja 手品 (sleight of hand) · hu trükk (deceitful cleverness) · hu mutatvány (deceitful cleverness) · hu bűvészmutatvány (sleight of hand) · pt prestidigitação (sleight of hand) · bg фокусничество (sleight of hand) · hu bűvésztrükk (sleight of hand) · de Taschenspielerkunst (sleight of hand) · hu trükk (sleight of hand) · es prestidigitación (sleight of hand) · ca prestidigitació (sleight of hand)