maneuver

Origin:
1470–80 for an earlier sense; 1750–60 for current noun sense; < French manoeuvre, Middle French manuevre handwork, derivative of Old French manuvrer < Latin manū operāre to do handwork, equivalent to manū (ablative of manus hand) + operāre to work (see operate); replacing earlier maanorre manual labor < Middle French, as above

Related forms

ma·neu·ver·a·ble, adjective

ma·neu·ver·a·bil·i·ty, noun

ma·neu·ver·er, noun

un·ma·neu·vered, adjective

Synonyms
4. stratagem, tactic, ruse, artifice; procedure, scheme, plot, plan. 6. scheme, contrive, intrigue. 7. handle, finesse. 10. plot, plan.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To maneuver

Collins

World English Dictionary

maneuver (məˈnuːvə)

—n, —vb
	the usual US spelling of manoeuvre

ma'neuverable

—*adj*

maneuvera'bility

—n

ma'neuverer

—n

ma'neuvering

—n

manoeuvre or maneuver (məˈnuːvə)

—n
1.	a contrived, complicated, and possibly deceptive plan or action: political manoeuvres
2.	a movement or action requiring dexterity and skill
3.	a. a tactic or movement of one or a number of military or naval units
	b. (plural) tactical exercises, usually on a large scale
4.	a planned movement of an aircraft in flight
5.	any change from the straight steady course of a ship

—vb
6.	(tr) to contrive or accomplish with skill or cunning
7.	(intr) to manipulate situations, etc, in order to gain some end: to manoeuvre for the leadership
8.	(intr) to perform a manoeuvre or manoeuvres
9.	to move or deploy or be moved or deployed, as military units, etc

[C15: from French, from Medieval Latin manuopera manual work, from Latin manū operāre to work with the hand]

maneuver or maneuver

—n

—vb

[C15: from French, from Medieval Latin manuopera manual work, from Latin manū operāre to work with the hand]

ma'noeuvrable or maneuver

—*adj*

ma'neuverable or maneuver

—*adj*

manoeuvra'bility or maneuver

—n

maneuvera'bility or maneuver

—n

ma'noeuvrer or maneuver

—n

ma'neuverer or maneuver

—n

ma'noeuvring or maneuver

—n

ma'neuvering or maneuver

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

maneuver

late 15c., "hand-labor," from M.Fr. manoeuvre "manipulation, maneuver," from O.Fr. maneuvre "manual labor" (13c.), from M.L. manuopera, from manuoperare "work with the hands," from L. manu operari, from manu, abl. of manus "hand" (see manual) + operari (see

operation). The military sense of "planned movement of troops or warship" is attested from 1758; general meaning "artful plan, adroit movement" is from 1774. The verb is first attested 1777. Related: Maneuvered; maneuvering; maneuvers.

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

maneuver ma·neu·ver (mə-n&oomacr;'vər, -ny&oomacr;'-)
n.
A movement or procedure involving skill and dexterity. v. ma·neu·vered, ma·neu·ver·ing, ma·neu·vers
To manipulate into a desired position or toward a predetermined goal.

Example sentences

If all goes to plan, it will be the first spacecraft to maneuver without fuel.

Every step and every maneuver is carefully designed and performed.

Sometimes, the player will make the cue ball jump over an obstructive ball,

always a stirring maneuver.

Rather, the car would read the driver's mind and prepare itself for a manually

executed maneuver.

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Matching Quote

"People having speech defects sometimes learn part of the practice by laborious study, but good speech is always mainly unconscious speech. Any tennis player, even if he could not explain this enigma, could provide an analogy for it. When he sees a rapidly flying tennis ball coming toward him, he knows what he must do. He must maneuver himself into the proper position, be poised with his weight properly distributed, meet the ball with the proper sweep of his arm and with his racket held at just the right pitch, and all this must be timed to stop the flying ball at a precise point. But if the tennis player pauses to think of all these actions and how he will perform them, he is lost. The ball will not skim back over the net, building air pressure as it goes until it buzzes down into the opponent's corner. If the tennis player thinks about anything except where he wants the ball to go and what he plans for the next stroke, he will probably become so awkward that he will be lucky to hit the ball at all. Rapid, precise muscular actions can be successfully carried out only by the unconscious part of the brain. And so with the speaker. He cannot speak well unless he speaks unconsciously, for his movements are as precise, as complicated, and as exactly timed as those of the tennis player."

-Charlton Laird