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deft - 4 dictionary results

deft

[deft]
–adjective, -er, -est.
dexterous; nimble; skillful; clever: deft hands; a deft mechanic.

Origin:
1175–1225; ME; var. of daft


deftly, adverb
deftness, noun


See dexterous.
deft   (děft)   
adj.   deft·er, deft·est
Quick and skillful; adroit. See Synonyms at dexterous.

[Middle English, gentle, humble, variant of dafte, foolish; see daft.]
deft'ly adv., deft'ness n.

Deft

Deft\, a. [OE. daft, deft, becoming, mild, gentle, stupid (cf. OE. daffe, deffe, fool, coward), AS. d[ae]ft (in derivatives only) mild, gentle, fitting, seasonable; akin to dafen, gedafen, becoming, fit, Goth. gadaban to be fit. Cf. Daft, Daff, Dapper.] Apt; fit; dexterous; clever; handy; spruce; neat. [Archaic or Poetic] "The deftest way." --Shak. "Deftest feats." --Gay.

The limping god, so deft at his new ministry. --Dryden.

Let me be deft and debonair. --Byron.
Language Translation for : deft
Spanish: hábil,
German: geschickt,
Japanese: じょうずな

deft 
O.E. gedæfte "mild, gentle," differentiated in M.E. into daft (q.v.) and this word, via sense of "apt, skillful, adept."
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