Legerdemain (noun)
lej-er-dem-ayn
sleight of hand.
Legerdemain comes from a late Middle English word, legerdemeyn, meaning “skill in conjuring.” which comes from a Middle French phrase, léger de main, meaning “nimble” or “skillful” that’s literally translated as “light of hand.” Legerdemain was first recorded between 1400–1450.
Example sentences
“The pickpocket’s legerdemain was so skillful that her victims had no idea their wallets were missing until much later.”