finesse

Meanings

Noun

• Skill in the handling or manipulation of a situation.
• The property of having elegance, grace, refinement, or skill.
• An adroit manoeuvre.
• 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.

Verb

• To evade (a problem, situation, etc.) by using some clever argument or strategem.
• To play (a card) as a finesse.
• To handle or manage carefully or skilfully; to manipulate in a crafty way.
• To attempt to win a trick by finessing.
• To play a ball out of the way of an opponent.

Origin

• From Middle English fīnesse ("degree of excellence; (of metal) fineness, purity"), from Middle French finesse, Old French finesse ("fineness; delicacy; slenderness"), from fine, fin (from Latin fīnis ("end"); compare Middle English fīn ("of superior quality; precious, valuable; admirable, pleasing; pure, refined; fineness, purity; delicate, exquisite, fine; sharp, thin")) + -esse.
• The verb is derived from the noun.