deft \deft\ (d[e^]ft), a. [OE. daft, deft, becoming, mild,
gentle, stupid (cf. OE. daffe, deffe, fool, coward), AS.
d[ae]ft (in derivatives only) mild, gentle, fitting,
seasonable; akin to dafen, gedafen, becoming, fit, Goth.
gadaban to be fit. Cf. Daft, Daff, Dapper.]
1. Apt; fit; spruce; neat. [Archaic or Poetic] "The deftest
way." --Shak. "Deftest feats." --Gay.
[1913 Webster]
Let me be deft and debonair. --Byron.
[1913 Webster]
2. dexterous; clever; handy; as, a deft feat of legerdemain.
[PJC]
The limping god, so deft at his new ministry.
--Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
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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 |
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