jugglery

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English

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Etymology

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From Old French juglerie, jouglerie, from jouglere (juggler).

Noun

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jugglery (countable and uncountable, plural juggleries)

  1. (now rare) Witchcraft, sorcery; magical trickery, legerdemain.
    • 1819, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 31, in The Bride of Lammermoor:
      Omens were expounded, dreams were interpreted, and other tricks of jugglery perhaps resorted to, by which the pretended adepts of the period deceived and fascinated their deluded followers.
    • 1867, Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, translated by FE Bunnett, Undine:
      [T]he vessel swarmed with the most hideous apparitions. [] But Huldbrand was indignant at such unsightly jugglery [translating Gaukeleien].
  2. (by extension) Trickery or deception in general, or an instance of such.
    • 1942, Walter de la Mare, “All Hallows”, in Best Stories of Walter de la Mare:
      What they call the Great War is over [] and yet what do we see around us? Nothing but strife and juggleries and hatred and contempt and discord wherever you look.

See also

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