Today's Word "prestidigitation"
Skill in or performance of tricks
on
Published in Vocabulary
prestidigitation \pres-tuh-dij-uh-TAY-shuhn\ (noun) - Skill in or performance of tricks; sleight of hand.
"So, by virtue of such mental prestidigitation and tergiversation, inspired and animated as it was by his desire for Sondra, his inability to face the facts in connection with Roberty, he achieved the much-coveted privilege of again seeing her, over one week-end at least, and in such a setting as never before in his life had he been privileged to witness." -- Theodore Dreiser, 'An American Tragedy'
Prestidigitation was adopted from French, from preste, "nimble, quick" (from Italian presto, from Late Latin praestus, "ready at hand") + Latin digitus, "finger." One skilled in sleight of hand is a prestidigitator.
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