Search the Dictionary

One skilled in geometry; a geometer; a mathematician.

Pertaining to deeds or feats of arms; legendary. And the gay grandsire, skilled in gestic lore. Goldsmith.

-- To give place, to withdraw; to yield one's claim. -- To give points. (a) In games of skill, to equalize chances by conceding a certain advantage; to allow a handicap. (b) To give useful suggestions. [Colloq.] -- To give rein. See under Rein, n. -- To give the sack . Same as To give the bag. -- To give and take.…

One skilled in gnomonics. Boyle.

Clever; skillful; dexterous; ready; handy; -- followed especially by at. He . . . is a good workman; a very good tailor. Shak. Those are generally good at flattering who are good for nothing else. South.

That which is graved or carved. [R.] Skillful to . . . grave any manner of graving. 2 Chron. ii. 14.

What may be got without skill or merit. Fish not, with this melancholy bait, For this fool gudgeon, this opinion. Shak.

To cut irregulary, without skill or definite purpose; to notch; to mangle by repeated strokes of a cutting instrument; as, to hack a post. My sword hacked like a handsaw. Shak.

To cut roughly or hack; to cut into small pieces; to notch or cut in an unskillful manner; to make rough or mangle by cutting; as, a boy haggles a stick of wood. Suffolk first died, and York, all haggled o'er, Comes to him, where in gore he lay insteeped. Shak.

of bronze, a knowledge of iron, possession of domestic animals, agriculture, and artistic skill and sentiment in manufacturing pottery, ornaments, etc.

Power of performance; means of execution; ability; skill; dexterity. He had a great mind to try his hand at a Spectator. Addison.

A race, for horses or men, or any contest of agility, strength, or skill, in which there is an allowance of time, distance, weight, or other advantage, to equalize the chances of the competitors.

A trade requiring skill of hand; manual occupation; handcraft. Addison.

A man skilled or employed in handcraft. Bacon.

In a handy manner; skillfully; conveniently.

To manage in using, as a spade or a musket; to wield; often, to manage skillfully. That fellow handles his bow like a crowkeeper. Shak.

Dexterous; skillful; handy; ready; convenient; -- applied to things as persons. [Obs.] That they [engines of war] be both easy to be carried and handsome to be moved and turned about. Robynson (Utopia). For a thief it is so handsome as it may seem it was first invented for him. Spenser.

Skillful in using the hand; dexterous; ready; adroit. "Each is handy in his way." Dryden.

One who understands the principles of harmony or is skillful in applying them in composition; a musical composer.

To play on, as a harp; to play (a tune) on the harp; to develop or give expression to by skill and art; to sound forth as from a harp; to hit upon. Thou 'harped my fear aright. Shak.