deft adj

1 quick and skillful in movement

2 skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands; "a deft waiter"; "deft fingers massaged her face"; "dexterous of hand and inventive of mind" [syn: dexterous, dextrous]

English

Etymology

Middle English defte, daft "gentle", from Old English gedæfte "mild, meek", from common Germanic *gadafta-, derived from *dab- "be suitable", from Proto-Indo-European *dhabh- "fitting, fit together". Near cognates include Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐍉𐍆𐍃 (gadōfs) "suitable". Further cognates include Russian добро (dobro) "good" and Latin faber "craftsman; skillful".

Pronunciation

• GenAm /dɛft/
• GenAm /dEft/

• Rhymes: -ɛft

Adjective

en-adj er

1. quick and neat in action; skillful

   He assembled it in one fluid, deft motion.

Translations

• Crimean Tatar: çeber
• Italian: destro
• Latin: dexter
• Polish: zręczny
• Russian: ловкий (lovkij)
• Telugu: చాకచక్యము (chaakachakyamu), నేర్పు (naerpu)

See also

• daft

Daedalian, adept, adroit, agile, apt, artistic, authoritative, bravura, brilliant, brisk, clean, clever, coordinated, crack, crackerjack, cunning, cute, daedal, dexterous, dextrous, diplomatic, excellent, expert, fancy, fleet, good, goodish, graceful, handy, ingenious, magisterial, masterful, masterly, neat, neat-handed, nimble, no mean, politic, professional, proficient, prompt, quick, quite some, ready, resourceful, skillful, slick, some, statesmanlike, stylish, tactful, the compleat, the complete, virtuoso, well-done, workmanlike