finesse

Meanings

1. A skill in the handling or manipulation of a situation.
2. The property of having elegance, grace, refinement, or skill.
3. An adroit maneuver.
4. In bridge, whist, etc.: a technique which allows one to win a trick, usually by playing a card when it is thought that a card that can beat it is held by another player whose turn is over.

1. To evade (a problem, situation, etc.) by using some clever argument or stratagem.
2. To handle or manage carefully or skilfully; to manipulate in a crafty way.
3. To obtain something from someone through trickery or manipulation.
4. To attempt to win a trick by finessing.
5. To play (a card) as a finesse.
6. To play a ball out of the way of an opponent.

Etymology

From Middle English finesse (“a degree of excellence; (of metal) fineness, purity”), from Middle French finesse, Old French finesse (“a fineness; a delicacy; slenderness”), from fine, fin (“fine, thin”) (from Latin fīnis (“an end”); compare Middle English fīn (“of superior quality; precious, valuable; admirable, pleasing; pure, refined; fineness, purity; delicate, exquisite, fine; sharp, thin”)) + -esse (suffix forming nouns describing the condition of being something). The verb is derived from the noun.

Translations