skillful and quick in movement, done with ease and precision.
From Old English 'gedæfte', originally meaning suitable or fitting. By the 14th century, it shifted to mean skillful in handling things. The word comes from Germanic roots relating to fitness and suitability.
Deft fingers on a surgeon, a deft move in chess, a deft joke—the word implies not just skill but elegance, like someone making something difficult look effortless.
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