Artifice

Artifice
Artifice Ar"ti*fice, n. [L. artificium, fr. artifex artificer; ars, artis, art + facere to make: cf. F. artifice.] 1. A handicraft; a trade; art of making. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

2. Workmanship; a skillfully contrived work. [1913 Webster]

The material universe . . . in the artifice of God, the artifice of the best Mechanist. --Cudworth. [1913 Webster]

3. Artful or skillful contrivance. [1913 Webster]

His [Congreve's] plots were constructed without much artifice. --Craik. [1913 Webster]

4. Crafty device; an artful, ingenious, or elaborate trick.

Note: [Now the usual meaning.] [1913 Webster]

Those who were conscious of guilt employed numerous artifices for the purpose of averting inquiry. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • artifice — [ artifis ] n. m. • artefice 1256; lat. artificium « art, métier », par l it. 1 ♦ (1505) Vx Art consommé, habileté. ⇒ art. ♢ Mod. Moyen habile, ingénieux. Résoudre un problème de mathématiques par un artifice de calcul. 2 ♦ (XVIIe) Cour. Moyen… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • artifice — ARTIFICE. s. m. Art, industrie. Cette horloge, cette machine est faite avec un artifice merveilleux. L artifice d un ouvrage. On le dit Des ouvrages d esprit, du style. L artifice de son style séduit. f♛/b] On dit qu Un homme ne vit que par… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • artifice — Artifice. s. m. Art, industrie. Cette horloge, cette machine est faite avec un artifice merveilleux. Artifice, Se prend plus ordinairement pour Ruse, deguisement, fraude. Meschant, detestable artifice. artifice grossier. user d artifice. qui se… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • artifice — Artifice, Artificium. User d artifice, Artem adhibere. Par grand artifice, Affabre. Sans artifice, Inartificialiter …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • artifice — ar·ti·fice / är tə fəs/ n: a clever strategy usu. intended to deceive or defraud Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. artifice …   Law dictionary

  • artifice — [n1] hoax; clever act con, contrivance, device, dodge, expedient, gambit, gimmick*, machination, maneuver, play, ploy, racket*, ruse, savvy, scam*, stratagem, subterfuge, tactic, wile; concept 59 Ant. candor, frankness, honesty, honor,… …   New thesaurus

  • artífice — sustantivo masculino 1. Persona que con esfuerzo e ingenio consigue alguna cosa: Pablo ha sido el artífice de la victoria. Aquí tienes a Pepita, la artífice del proyecto. Sinónimo: creador, autor. 2. Uso/registro: restringido. Artesano que… …   Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española

  • artifice — (n.) 1530s, workmanship, the making of anything by craft or skill, from M.Fr. artifice skill, cunning (14c.), from L. artificium a profession, trade, employment, craft; making by art, from artifex (gen. artificis) craftsman, artist, from ars art… …   Etymology dictionary

  • artífice — s. 2 g. 1. Pessoa que manufatura um objeto. = ARTESÃO 2.  [Figurado] Pessoa que cria ou inventa. = AUTOR, CRIADOR, INVENTOR, OBREIRO 3. Oficial mecânico. = OBREIRO • adj. 2 g. 4. Artificial …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • artifice — 1 *art, cunning, craft, skill Analogous words: ingeniousness or ingenuity, cleverness, adroitness (see corresponding adjectives at CLEVER): adeptness, proficiency, expertness (see corresponding adjectives at PROFICIENT) 2 *trick, ruse, wile,… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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