deftadj.

Brit.

/dɛft/, U.S.

/dɛft/

Forms: Also Middle English defte.

Etymology: apparently a doublet of daft adj., representing Old English gedæfte, for gedęfte, mild, gentle, meek, from stem daƀ- in Gothic gadaban to become, befit: compare Old English gedæfen becoming, fit, suitable.

†1. Gentle, meek, humble; = daft adj. 1. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > humility > [adjective]

heanc825

daftc1000

edmedec1000

edmodc1000

edmodeda1175

sheepishc1175

deftc1220

edmodi?c1225

lowc1225

humblec1250

beienlichc1275

buxoma1300

meekc1325

benign1377

lowlya1382

contemptiblec1384

pridelessc1395

humil1488

low-down1548

unproud1570

demiss1572

unpuffed1577

afflicted1590

unselfdelicious1605

cottagely1653

unselfvaluing1668

simplified1721

demissivea1763

stateless1844

maiden-meek1847

vanityless1854

patronizable1884

c1220 Bestiary 36 Ðat defte meiden, Marie bi name Ðe him bar to manne frame.

a. Apt, skilful, dexterous, clever or neat in action.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > [adjective] > having or characterized by bodily skill

deftc1440

daft?a1500

feat1519

clever1580

dexter1597

dexterious1628

dexterous1650

featly1801

slinky1951

c1440 York Myst. i. 92 I sall be lyke vnto hym þat es hyeste on heyhte; Owe! what I am derworth and defte.

1592 G. Harvey Foure Lett. 57 Whether the Deft writer be as sure a workeman as the neat Taylor.

1598 G. Chapman tr. Homer Seauen Bks. Iliades i. 580 A laughter never left Shook all the blessed deities, to see the lame so deft At that cup service.

1602 B. Jonson Poetaster v. iii. sig. L3 Well said, my diuine, deft Horace.

1607 Lingua iii. v, in W. C. Hazlitt Dodsley's Sel. Coll. Old Eng. Plays (1874) IX. 394 Their knowledge is only of things present, quickly sublimed with the deft file of time.

1855 F. K. Robinson Gloss. Yorks. Words 44 Deft, neat, clever. ‘She is a deft hand with a needle.’

1862 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia III. xii. xi. 350 A cunning little wretch, they say, and of deft tongue.

1863 ‘G. Eliot’ Romola I. ix. 162 Smitten and buffeted because he was not deft and active.

b. Of actions: Showing skill or dexterity in execution.

ΚΠ

1642 H. More Ψυχωδια Platonica sig. P8^v Break off this musick, and deft seemly Round.

1714 J. Gay Shepherd's Week i. 56 The wanton Calf may skip with many a Bound, And my Cur Tray play deftest Feats around.

1853 C. Brontë Villette I. i. 7 The creature..made a deft attempt to fold the shawl.

1878 H. S. Wilson Alpine Ascents iii. 97 With deft blows of the untiring axe.

†c. transferred. Of a metal: Apt for working, easily wrought. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > types of metal generally > [adjective] > other types or qualities of metal

refinable1607

maiden1622

conflatory1650

calcinable1652

noble1666

deft1683

tensile1841

calcigenous1854

multiple-phase1891

slagless1899

air-hardening1901

non-ferrous1909

free-cutting1923

multiphase1946

semi-metallic1974

1683 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 13 193 How to make brittle gold deft and fit to be wrought.

3. Neat, tidy, trim, spruce; handsome, pretty. Still dialect.[The sense ‘neat in action’ (see 2) appears to have passed into ‘neat in person’. Cf. similar developments, under buxom, canny, clever, handsome, tidy, and other adjectives expressing personal praise.]

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > beauty > pleasing appearance > [adjective] > neat or trim

netc1330

pertc1330

cleanc1386

nicec1400

picked?c1425

dapperc1440

feata1471

gim1513

trig1513

well-trimmedc1513

trick1533

smirk1534

tricksy1552

neat1559

netty1573

deft1579

primpc1590

briska1593

smug1598

spruce1598

sprink1602

terse1602

compt1632

nitle1673

sprig1675

snod1691

tight1697

smugged1706

snug1714

pensy1718

fitty1746

jemmy1751

sprucy1774

smartc1778

natty1785

spry1806

perjink1808

soigné1821

nutty1823

toiletted1823

taut1829

spick and span1846

spicy1846

groomed1853

spiffy1853

well-groomed1865

bandboxy1870

perjinkity1880

spick-span1888

bandbox1916

tiddly1925

whip-smart1937

spit and polish1950

spit-and-polished1977

1579 [implied in: G. Gilpin tr. P. van Marnix van Sant Aldegonde Bee Hiue of Romishe Church ii. x. f. 176 Deftly decked vppe with all costly iewels like Puppets. (at deftly adv. 2)].

1589 [implied in: ‘Pasquill of England’ Returne of Pasquill sig. Biij^v Verie defflie set out, with Pompes, Pagents, Motions..Impreases. (at deftly adv. 2)].

1599 T. Heywood 1st Pt. King Edward IV sig. K4 By the messe a deft lasse, Christ benison light on her.

1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. iv. xliv. 168 In her raiment..not so deft [scite] as devout..her garments rather sainctly than sightly.

1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Greslet,..little, prettie, deft, smallish.

1622 S. Rowlands Good Newes & Bad Newes 20 Shee came to London very neat and deft, To seeke preferment.

1691 J. Ray N. Country Words in Coll. Eng. Words (ed. 2) 20 Deft, little and pretty, or neat. A Deft man or thing. It is a word of general use all England over.

1781 J. Hutton Tour to Caves (ed. 2) Gloss. Deft, pretty, agreeable.

1788 W. Marshall Provincialisms E. Yorks. in Rural Econ. Yorks. II. 325 Deft, neat; pretty; handsome.

1873 J. Harland Gloss. Words Swaledale Deft, neat, pretty.

4. Quiet. Cf. deftly adv. 3. Still dialect.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > inaudibility > [adjective] > silent

coyc1330

stone-still1338

quietc1384

softa1393

peacec1400

swownc1400

tongueless1447

clumc1485

mutec1500

whist1513

silent1542

dead1548

husht1557

whisted1557

whust1558

whisht1570

huisht1576

quiet (also mum, mute, still, etc.) as a mouse (in a cheese)1584

fordead1593

noiseless1608

whisha1612

dumba1616

soundlessa1616

st1655

silentish1737

defta1763

sleeping1785

untoned1807

mousy1812

soughless1851

deathlike1856

whisperless1863

deathly1865

a1763 J. Byrom Careless Content (R.) Or if ye ween, for worldly stirs, That man does right to mar his rest, Let me be deft, and debonair, I am content, I do not care.

1878 W. Dickinson Gloss. Words & Phrases Cumberland (ed. 2) (Central) Deft, quiet, silent.

†5. Stupid; = daft adj. 2. Obsolete. rare.Apparently only attested in dictionaries or glossaries.

ΚΠ

c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 116 Defte [v.r. deft] or dulle, obtusus, agrestis.

6. quasi adv. Deftly.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > [adverb] > with physical skill

listlyc1000

featouslya1375

featlyc1400

deftlya1500

expedient1509

deliverly1530

handsomely1530

courteouslya1533

neatlya1547

dexteriously1605

cleverly1614

featilya1640

dexterously1646

deft1805

neat1822

handily1832

as neat (also nice, right, etc.) as ninepence1857

1805 W. Scott Lay of Last Minstrel i. xv. 18 Merry elves, their morrice pacing..Trip it deft and merrily.

Compounds

deft-fingered adj.

ΚΠ

1860 W. J. C. Muir Pagan or Christian? 36 Being deft-fingered..they grew in good time to be tolerable adepts in their Art.

deft-handed adj.

ΚΠ

1889 Boy's Own Paper 3 Aug. 698/3 She did not show herself so deft-handed.

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	deft
释义	deftadj. Brit. /dɛft/, U.S. /dɛft/ Forms: Also Middle English defte. Etymology: apparently a doublet of daft adj., representing Old English gedæfte, for gedęfte, mild, gentle, meek, from stem daƀ- in Gothic gadaban to become, befit: compare Old English gedæfen becoming, fit, suitable. †1. Gentle, meek, humble; = daft adj. 1. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > humility > [adjective] heanc825 daftc1000 edmedec1000 edmodc1000 edmodeda1175 sheepishc1175 deftc1220 edmodi?c1225 lowc1225 humblec1250 beienlichc1275 buxoma1300 meekc1325 benign1377 lowlya1382 contemptiblec1384 pridelessc1395 humil1488 low-down1548 unproud1570 demiss1572 unpuffed1577 afflicted1590 unselfdelicious1605 cottagely1653 unselfvaluing1668 simplified1721 demissivea1763 stateless1844 maiden-meek1847 vanityless1854 patronizable1884 c1220 Bestiary 36 Ðat defte meiden, Marie bi name Ðe him bar to manne frame. 2. a. Apt, skilful, dexterous, clever or neat in action. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > [adjective] > having or characterized by bodily skill deftc1440 daft?a1500 feat1519 clever1580 dexter1597 dexterious1628 dexterous1650 featly1801 slinky1951 c1440 York Myst. i. 92 I sall be lyke vnto hym þat es hyeste on heyhte; Owe! what I am derworth and defte. 1592 G. Harvey Foure Lett. 57 Whether the Deft writer be as sure a workeman as the neat Taylor. 1598 G. Chapman tr. Homer Seauen Bks. Iliades i. 580 A laughter never left Shook all the blessed deities, to see the lame so deft At that cup service. 1602 B. Jonson Poetaster v. iii. sig. L3 Well said, my diuine, deft Horace. View more context for this quotation 1607 Lingua iii. v, in W. C. Hazlitt Dodsley's Sel. Coll. Old Eng. Plays (1874) IX. 394 Their knowledge is only of things present, quickly sublimed with the deft file of time. 1855 F. K. Robinson Gloss. Yorks. Words 44 Deft, neat, clever. ‘She is a deft hand with a needle.’ 1862 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia III. xii. xi. 350 A cunning little wretch, they say, and of deft tongue. 1863 ‘G. Eliot’ Romola I. ix. 162 Smitten and buffeted because he was not deft and active. b. Of actions: Showing skill or dexterity in execution. ΚΠ 1642 H. More Ψυχωδια Platonica sig. P8^v Break off this musick, and deft seemly Round. 1714 J. Gay Shepherd's Week i. 56 The wanton Calf may skip with many a Bound, And my Cur Tray play deftest Feats around. 1853 C. Brontë Villette I. i. 7 The creature..made a deft attempt to fold the shawl. 1878 H. S. Wilson Alpine Ascents iii. 97 With deft blows of the untiring axe. †c. transferred. Of a metal: Apt for working, easily wrought. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > types of metal generally > [adjective] > other types or qualities of metal refinable1607 maiden1622 conflatory1650 calcinable1652 noble1666 deft1683 tensile1841 calcigenous1854 multiple-phase1891 slagless1899 air-hardening1901 non-ferrous1909 free-cutting1923 multiphase1946 semi-metallic1974 1683 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 13 193 How to make brittle gold deft and fit to be wrought. 3. Neat, tidy, trim, spruce; handsome, pretty. Still dialect.[The sense ‘neat in action’ (see 2) appears to have passed into ‘neat in person’. Cf. similar developments, under buxom, canny, clever, handsome, tidy, and other adjectives expressing personal praise.] ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > beauty > pleasing appearance > [adjective] > neat or trim netc1330 pertc1330 cleanc1386 nicec1400 picked?c1425 dapperc1440 feata1471 gim1513 trig1513 well-trimmedc1513 trick1533 smirk1534 tricksy1552 neat1559 netty1573 deft1579 primpc1590 briska1593 smug1598 spruce1598 sprink1602 terse1602 compt1632 nitle1673 sprig1675 snod1691 tight1697 smugged1706 snug1714 pensy1718 fitty1746 jemmy1751 sprucy1774 smartc1778 natty1785 spry1806 perjink1808 soigné1821 nutty1823 toiletted1823 taut1829 spick and span1846 spicy1846 groomed1853 spiffy1853 well-groomed1865 bandboxy1870 perjinkity1880 spick-span1888 bandbox1916 tiddly1925 whip-smart1937 spit and polish1950 spit-and-polished1977 1579 [implied in: G. Gilpin tr. P. van Marnix van Sant Aldegonde Bee Hiue of Romishe Church ii. x. f. 176 Deftly decked vppe with all costly iewels like Puppets. (at deftly adv. 2)]. 1589 [implied in: ‘Pasquill of England’ Returne of Pasquill sig. Biij^v Verie defflie set out, with Pompes, Pagents, Motions..Impreases. (at deftly adv. 2)]. 1599 T. Heywood 1st Pt. King Edward IV sig. K4 By the messe a deft lasse, Christ benison light on her. 1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. iv. xliv. 168 In her raiment..not so deft [scite] as devout..her garments rather sainctly than sightly. 1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Greslet,..little, prettie, deft, smallish. 1622 S. Rowlands Good Newes & Bad Newes 20 Shee came to London very neat and deft, To seeke preferment. 1691 J. Ray N. Country Words in Coll. Eng. Words (ed. 2) 20 Deft, little and pretty, or neat. A Deft man or thing. It is a word of general use all England over. 1781 J. Hutton Tour to Caves (ed. 2) Gloss. Deft, pretty, agreeable. 1788 W. Marshall Provincialisms E. Yorks. in Rural Econ. Yorks. II. 325 Deft, neat; pretty; handsome. 1873 J. Harland Gloss. Words Swaledale Deft, neat, pretty. 4. Quiet. Cf. deftly adv. 3. Still dialect. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > inaudibility > [adjective] > silent coyc1330 stone-still1338 quietc1384 softa1393 peacec1400 swownc1400 tongueless1447 clumc1485 mutec1500 whist1513 silent1542 dead1548 husht1557 whisted1557 whust1558 whust1558 whisht1570 huisht1576 quiet (also mum, mute, still, etc.) as a mouse (in a cheese)1584 fordead1593 noiseless1608 whisha1612 dumba1616 soundlessa1616 st1655 silentish1737 defta1763 sleeping1785 untoned1807 mousy1812 soughless1851 deathlike1856 whisperless1863 deathly1865 a1763 J. Byrom Careless Content (R.) Or if ye ween, for worldly stirs, That man does right to mar his rest, Let me be deft, and debonair, I am content, I do not care. 1878 W. Dickinson Gloss. Words & Phrases Cumberland (ed. 2) (Central) Deft, quiet, silent. †5. Stupid; = daft adj. 2. Obsolete. rare.Apparently only attested in dictionaries or glossaries. ΚΠ c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 116 Defte [v.r. deft] or dulle, obtusus, agrestis. 6. quasi adv. Deftly. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > [adverb] > with physical skill listlyc1000 featouslya1375 featlyc1400 deftlya1500 expedient1509 deliverly1530 handsomely1530 courteouslya1533 neatlya1547 dexteriously1605 cleverly1614 featilya1640 dexterously1646 deft1805 neat1822 handily1832 as neat (also nice, right, etc.) as ninepence1857 1805 W. Scott Lay of Last Minstrel i. xv. 18 Merry elves, their morrice pacing..Trip it deft and merrily. Compounds deft-fingered adj. ΚΠ 1860 W. J. C. Muir Pagan or Christian? 36 Being deft-fingered..they grew in good time to be tolerable adepts in their Art. deft-handed adj. ΚΠ 1889 Boy's Own Paper 3 Aug. 698/3 She did not show herself so deft-handed. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adj.c1220
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