versuteadj.
/vəˈsjuːt//ˈvəːsjuːt/ Cunning, crafty, wily.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > cunning > [adjective]
warec888
craftyOE
hinderyeapc1000
yepec1000
foxc1175
slya1200
hinderc1200
quaint?c1225
wrenchfulc1225
wiltfula1250
wilyc1330
subtle1340
cautelous138.
sleightful1380
subtile1387
enginousa1393
wilfula1400
wilyc1407
sleighty1412
serpentinec1422
ginnousa1425
wittya1425
semyc1440
artificial?a1475
sleight1495
slapea1500
shrewdc1525
craftly1526
foxy1528
gleering?1533
foxish1535
insidious1545
vafrous1548
wily beguile1550
wilely1556
fine1559
todly1571
practic1585
subdolous1588
captious1590
witryff1598
cautel1606
cunninga1616
versute1616
shiftfula1618
artificious1624
insidiary1625
canny1628
lapwing-like1638
pawky?a1640
tricksome1648
callid1656
versutious1660
artful1663
slim1674
dexterous1701
trickish1705
supple1710
slid1719
vulpinary1721
tricksy1766
trickful1775
sneck-drawing1786
tricky1786
louche1819
sneck-drawn1820
slyish1828
vulpine1830
kokum1839
spidery1843
dodgy1861
ladino1863
carney1881
slinky1951
1616 J. Lane Contin. Squire's Tale ix. 15 Her artishe liers, wittie versute theeves.
1616 J. Lane Contin. Squire's Tale ix. 73 Ne bee out reachd at versute pollecie, or once out runn at hardie chivalrie.
1659 J. Gauden Ἱερα Δακρυα i. xiv. 132 A person of very supercilious gravity, also of versute and vertigenous policy.
1790 W. Paley Horæ Paulinæ i. 6 The second, which is a more versute and specious forgery.
Derivatives
Also versutiloquent, ‘a crafty talker, one using words craftily’ (Blount Glossogr., 1656), and versutiloquous, ‘talking cunningly or craftily’ (Bailey, vol. II, 1727): both after Latin versūtiloquus.
versutely adv.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > cunning > [adverb]
foxlyc1175
craftilyc1225
craftlyc1225
slylyc1275
fellyc1300
quaintc1300
quaintlyc1325
sleightlyc1330
subtly1340
sly1370
espyinglya1382
wisely1390
wililya1400
wilyc1400
subtilelyc1405
ginnouslya1425
semylyc1440
serpentlya1450
small?c1450
cautelously1477
politicly1477
sleightfullyc1480
artificiously1536
insidiously1545
sleightily1549
artificially1566
cunningly1603
versutely1616
artfully1631
subdolously1638
serpentinely1656
slimlya1680
pawkily1714
politically1764
trickfullyc1790
trickishly1824
leerily1859
dodgily1868
trickily1895
foxily1933
1616 J. Lane Contin. Squire's Tale x. 128 Now guiltie Horbell, Leifurcke, Gnartolite, castinge on chaunge, the lipp versutlie bite.
versuteness n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > cunning > [noun]
listOE
wiþercraftc1175
wilta1230
craftc1275
sleightc1275
engine?a1300
quaintisec1300
vaidiec1325
wilec1374
cautelc1375
sophistryc1385
quaintnessc1390
voisdie1390
havilon?a1400
foxeryc1400
subtletyc1400
undercraftc1400
practic?a1439
callidityc1450
policec1450
wilinessc1450
craftiness1484
gin1543
cautility1554
cunning1582
cautelousness1584
panurgy1586
policy1587
foxshipa1616
cunningnessa1625
subdolousness1635
dexterity1656
insidiousnessa1677
versuteness1685
pawkiness1687
sleight-hand1792
pawkery1820
vulpinism1851
downiness1865
foxiness1875
slimness1899
slypussness1908
1685 H. More Cursory Refl. 29 That he may become really sensible and ashamed of his present Crooked Versuteness and Hypocrisie.
1710 R. Ward Life H. More 81 Some Neatness of Stile, Versuteness of Temper, and Hypocrisie in Religion.
1862 F. D. Maurice Mod. Philos. vi. §89. 286 An ingenious explanation of astuteness and versuteness.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1917; most recently modified version published online March 2018).
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adj.1616- directives
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- directly
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- directness
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