| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| artifice |
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| SYLLABICATION: | ar·ti·fice |
| PRONUNCIATION: | är t -f s |
| NOUN: | 1. An artful or crafty expedient; a stratagem. See synonyms at wile. 2. Subtle but base deception; trickery. 3. Cleverness or skill; ingenuity. | | ETYMOLOGY: | French, from Old French, craftsmanship, from Latin artificium, from artifex, artific-, craftsman : ars, art-, art; see art1 + -fex, maker; see dh - in Appendix I.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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