Craftiness. World English Historical Dictionary

Craftiness. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Slice Contents Key Bibliographic Record Murray’s New English Dictionary. 1893, rev. 2025. Craftiness

[f. CRAFTY + -NESS.] The quality of being crafty.

1

  † 1.  Skilfulness, cleverness; aptitude in a handicraft. Obs.

2

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 100. Craftynesse, industria.

3

  2.  Artfulness in deceiving or overreaching.

4

1483.  Act 1 Rich. III., c. 13. They … of their Craftiness use to bring no more hider.

5

1526.  Tindale, 1 Cor. iii. 19. He compaseth the wyse in their craftynes.

6

1598.  F. Meres, Pall. Tamia, 281. When cheating and craftines is counted the cleanest wit.

7

1795.  Southey, Joan of Arc, I. 97. Thoughts of politic craftiness arose.

8

1865.  Dickens, Mut. Fr., III. v. Its old simplicity of expression got masked by a certain craftiness.

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