01 n. A handicraft; a trade; art of making.
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1.
A handicraft; a trade; art of making.[Obs.]
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2.
Workmanship; a skillfully contrived work.“The material universe . . . in the artifice of God, the artifice of the best Mechanist.” — Cudworth.
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3.
Artful or skillful contrivance.“His [Congreve's] plots were constructed without much artifice.” — Craik.
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4.
Crafty device; an artful, ingenious, or elaborate trick. [Now the usual meaning.]“Those who were conscious of guilt employed numerous artifices for the purpose of averting inquiry.” — Macaulay.