finesse

finesse
/fi ness"/, n., v., finessed, finessing.
n.
1. extreme delicacy or subtlety in action, performance, skill, discrimination, taste, etc.
2. skill in handling a difficult or highly sensitive situation; adroit and artful management: exceptional diplomatic finesse.
3. a trick, artifice, or stratagem.
4. Bridge, Whist. an attempt to win a trick with a card while holding a higher card not in sequence with it, in the hope that the card or cards between will not be played.
v.i.
5. to use finesse or artifice.
6. to make a finesse at cards.
v.t.
7. to bring about by finesse or artifice.
8. to avoid; circumvent.
9. to make a finesse with (a card).
10. to force the playing of (a card) by a finesse.
[1400-50; late ME: degree of excellence or purity < MF < VL *finitia. See FINE1, -ICE]
Syn. 1, 2. tact, diplomacy, savoir faire, circumspection, sensitivity, sensibility.

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Universalium. 2010.

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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 — [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… …   English World dictionary

  • 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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