deftnessn.
/ˈdɛftnɪs/ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beauty > pleasing appearance > [noun] > neatness or trimness
dapperness1530
featishness1530
trimness1552
neatness1555
featness1576
pickedness1578
spruceness1594
comptness1611
deftness1612
smugness1632
jemminess1756
spick and span1758
smartness1768
sprucery1813
dapperism1830
nattiness1846
sleekness1866
spit and polish1895
spick-and-spanness1911
1612 M. Drayton Poly-olbion ii. 33 By her, two little Iles, her handmaids (which compar'd With those within the Poole, for deftness not out-dar'd).
2. The quality of being deft, cleverness, dexterity, neatness of action.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > [noun] > skill or adroitness
subtletyc1300
sleightc1385
subtiltyc1405
subtilityc1415
facility1532
handsomeness1550
address?1577
neatnessa1627
adroitness1683
hability1840
deftness1853
niftiness1878
slickness1895
eptitude1967
1853 E. S. Sheppard Charles Auchester I. 316 He assisted me..with that assiduous deftness which pre-eminently distinguishes the instrumental artist.
1868 Sat. Rev. 13 June 777/1 They can neither tie a string nor fasten a button with ordinary deftness.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online December 2018).
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n.1612