finesse

finesse
finesse [fə nes′]
n.
[Fr < OFr fin, FINE1]
1. adroitness and delicacy of performance
2. the ability to handle delicate and difficult situations skillfully and diplomatically
3. cunning; skill; artfulness; craft
4. Bridge an attempt to take a trick with a lower card while holding a higher card not in sequence with it, made in the hope that the intervening card is in the hand of the opponent who has already played
vt.
finessed, finessing
1. to manage, bring about, or deal with by finesse: sometimes with into
2. to evade or bypass (a problem, issue, etc.)
3. Bridge
a) to make a finesse with (a specified card)
b) to play a card lower than (the specified intervening card) in making a finesse
vi.
to use or make a finesse

English World dictionary. . 2014.

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  • finesse — [ finɛs ] n. f. • 1330; de 2. fin I ♦ Qualité de ce qui est fin (2.; II). A ♦ UNE, LES FINESSES. 1 ♦ Vieilli Plan ou action marquant la ruse. ⇒ artifice, astuce, ruse, stratagème. « La plus subtile de toutes les finesses est de savoir bien… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • finesse — Finesse. s. f. Qualité de ce qui est fin, delié. Vous ne considerez pas la finesse de cette toile, de cette estoffe. Il se dit aussi des choses d esprit & signifie Delicatesse d esprit. Cela est escrit avec finesse. cela est tourné avec finesse.… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • finesse — Finesse, Ars, Artificium, Calliditas, Dolus, Fallacia, Stropha, Techna, Astutia, Versutia, Commentum. Finesse ou ruse, Ars strategematica. B. Finesses ou ruses de procez, Doli forenses fabrefacti. B. Bonne finesse, Astutior fallacia, Bonus dolus …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • Finesse — Sf Kunstgriff, Feinheit erw. stil. (17. Jh.) Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus frz. finesse, einem Abstraktum zu frz. fin fein, durchtrieben , aus spl. fīnus äußerstes, bestes , aus l. fīnis m./f. Grenze, Ende .    Ebenso nndl. finesse, ne. finesse, nschw …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • Finesse — Fi nesse (? or ?), n. [F., fr. fin fine. See {Fine}, a.] 1. Subtilty of contrivance to gain a point; artifice; stratagem. [1913 Webster] This is the artificialest piece of finesse to persuade men into slavery. Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. (Whist… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • finesse — (n.) 1520s, from M.Fr. finesse fineness, subtlety, from O.Fr. fin subtle, delicate (see FINE (Cf. fine) (adj.)). The verb is first attested 1746, originally as a term in whist. Related: Finessed; finessing …   Etymology dictionary

  • finesse — [n] know how, maneuver acumen, adeptness, adroitness, artfulness, artifice, big stick*, bluff, cleverness, competence, con, craft, craftiness, cunning, delicacy, diplomacy, discernment, discretion, feint, gimmick, grift, guile, polish, quickness …   New thesaurus

  • finesse — ► NOUN 1) refinement and delicacy. 2) subtle skill in handling or manipulating people or situations. 3) (in bridge and whist) an attempt to win a trick with a card that is not a certain winner. ► VERB 1) do in a subtle and delicate manner. 2)… …   English terms dictionary

  • Finesse — Fi*nesse , v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Finessed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Finessing}.] 1. To use artifice or stratagem. Goldsmith. [1913 Webster] 2. (Whist Playing) To attempt, when second or third player, to make a lower card answer the purpose of a higher,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Finesse — (fr.), Feinheit, Schlauheit, Verschmitztheit, seine Wendung in der Rede, Kunstgriff …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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