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In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.
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1828 Noah Webster Dictionary
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1828.mshaffer.com › Word [cunning]

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cunning

CUNNING, a. [G. See Can.]

1. Knowing; skillful; experienced; well-instructed. It is applied to all kinds of knowledge, but generally and appropriately, to the skill and dexterity of artificers, or the knowledge acquired by experience.

Esau was a cunning hunter. Genesis 23.

I will take away the cunning artificer. Isaiah 3.

A cunning workman. Exodus 38.

2. Wrought with skill; curious; ingenious.

With cherubs of cunning work shalt thou make them. Exodus 26.

[The foregoing senses occur frequently in our version of the scriptures, but are nearly or quite obsolete.]

3. Artful; shrewd; sly; crafty; astute; designing; as a cunning fellow.

They are resolved to be cunning; let others run the hazard of being sincere.

In this sense, the purpose or final end of the person may not be illaudalbe; but cunning implies the use of artifice to accomplish the purpose, rather than open, candid, or direct means. Hence,

4. Deceitful; trickish; employing stratagems for a bad purpose.

5. Assumed with subtilty; artful.

Accounting his integrity to be but a cunning face of falsehood.

CUNNING, n.

1. Knowledge; art; skill; dexterity.

Let my right hand forget her cunning. Psalm 137.

2. Art; artifice; artfulness; craft; shrewdness; the faculty or act of using stratagem to accomplish a purpose. Hence in a bad sense, deceitfulness or deceit; fraudulent skill or dexterity.

Discourage cunning in a child; cunning is the ape of wisdom.


Evolution (or devolution) of this word [cunning]

1828 Webster1844 Webster1913 Webster

CUNNING, a. [G. See Can.]

1. Knowing; skillful; experienced; well-instructed. It is applied to all kinds of knowledge, but generally and appropriately, to the skill and dexterity of artificers, or the knowledge acquired by experience.

Esau was a cunning hunter. Genesis 23.

I will take away the cunning artificer. Isaiah 3.

A cunning workman. Exodus 38.

2. Wrought with skill; curious; ingenious.

With cherubs of cunning work shalt thou make them. Exodus 26.

[The foregoing senses occur frequently in our version of the scriptures, but are nearly or quite obsolete.]

3. Artful; shrewd; sly; crafty; astute; designing; as a cunning fellow.

They are resolved to be cunning; let others run the hazard of being sincere.

In this sense, the purpose or final end of the person may not be illaudalbe; but cunning implies the use of artifice to accomplish the purpose, rather than open, candid, or direct means. Hence,

4. Deceitful; trickish; employing stratagems for a bad purpose.

5. Assumed with subtilty; artful.

Accounting his integrity to be but a cunning face of falsehood.

CUNNING, n.

1. Knowledge; art; skill; dexterity.

Let my right hand forget her cunning. Psalm 137.

2. Art; artifice; artfulness; craft; shrewdness; the faculty or act of using stratagem to accomplish a purpose. Hence in a bad sense, deceitfulness or deceit; fraudulent skill or dexterity.

Discourage cunning in a child; cunning is the ape of wisdom.

CUN'NING, a. [Sax. cunnan, connan; Goth. kunnan, to know: Sw. kunna, to be able, to know; kunnig, known; also, knowing, skillful, cunning; D. kunnen, can, to be able, to hold, contain, understand, or know; G. können. See Can.]

  1. Knowing; skillful; experienced; well-instructed. It is applied to all kinds of knowledge, but generally and appropriately, to the skill and dexterity of artificers, or the knowledge acquired by experience. Esau was a cunning hunter. – Gen. xxiii. I will take away the cunning artificer. – Is. iii. A cunning workman. – Ex. xxxviii.
  2. Wrought with skill; curious; ingenious. With cherubs of cunning work shalt thou make them. – Ex. xxvi. [The foregoing senses occur frequently in our version of the Scriptures, but are nearly or quite obsolete.]
  3. Artful; shrewd; sly; crafty; astute; designing; as, a cunning fellow. They are resolved to be cunning; let others run the hazard of being sincere. – South. In this sense, the purpose or final end of the person may not be illaudable; but cunning implies the use of artifice to accomplish the purpose, rather than open, candid, or direct means. Hence,
  4. Deceitful; trickish; employing stratagems for a bad purpose.
  5. Assumed with subtilty; artful. Accounting his integrity to be but a cunning face of falsehood. – Sidney.

CUN'NING, n.

  1. Knowledge; art; skill; dexterity. [Obs.]. Let my right hand forget her cunning. – Ps. cxxxvii.
  2. Art; artifice; artfulness; craft; shrewdness; the faculty or act of using stratagem to accomplish a purpose. Hence, in a bad sense, deceitfulness or deceit; fraudulent skill or dexterity. – Locke. Discourage cunning in a child; cunning is the ape of reason.

Cun"ning
  1. Knowing; skillful; dexterous.

    "A cunning workman." Ex. xxxviii. 23.

    "Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white
    Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on.
    Shak.

    Esau was a cunning hunter.
    Gen xxv. 27.

  2. Knowledge; art; skill; dexterity.

    [Archaic]

    Let my right hand forget her cunning.
    Ps. cxxxvii. 5.

    A carpenter's desert
    Stands more in cunning than in power.
    Chapman.

  3. Wrought with, or exhibiting, skill or ingenuity; ingenious; curious; as, cunning work.

    Over them Arachne high did lift Her cunning web.
    Spenser.

  4. The faculty or act of using stratagem to accomplish a purpose; fraudulent skill or dexterity; deceit; craft.

    Discourage cunning in a child; cunning is the ape of wisdom.
    Locke.

    We take cunning for a sinister or crooked wisdom.
    Bacon.

  5. Crafty; sly; artful; designing; deceitful.

    They are resolved to be cunning; let others run the hazard of being sincere.
    South.

  6. Pretty or pleasing; as, a cunning little boy.

    [Colloq. U.S.] Barlett.

    Syn. -- Cunning, Artful, Sly, Wily, Crafty. -- These epithets agree in expressing an aptitude for attaining some end by peculiar and secret means. Cunning is usually low; as, a cunning trick. Artful is more ingenious and inventive; as, an artful device. Sly implies a turn for what is double or concealed; as, sly humor; a sly evasion. Crafty denotes a talent for dexterously deceiving; as, a crafty manager. Wily describes a talent for the use of stratagems; as, a wily politician. "Acunning man often shows his dexterity in simply concealing. An artful man goes further, and exerts his ingenuity in misleading. A crafty man mingles cunning with art, and so shapes his actions as to lull suspicions. The young may be cunning, but the experienced only can be crafty. Slyness is a vulgar kind of cunning; the sly man goes cautiously and silently to work. Wiliness is a species of cunning or craft applicable only to cases of attack and defense." Crabb.

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Cunning

CUNNING, adjective [G. See Can.]

1. Knowing; skillful; experienced; well-instructed. It is applied to all kinds of knowledge, but generally and appropriately, to the skill and dexterity of artificers, or the knowledge acquired by experience.

Esau was a cunning hunter. Genesis 23:1.

I will take away the cunning artificer. Isaiah 3:3.

A cunning workman. Exodus 38:23.

2. Wrought with skill; curious; ingenious.

With cherubs of cunning work shalt thou make them. Exodus 26:1.

[The foregoing senses occur frequently in our version of the scriptures, but are nearly or quite obsolete.]

3. Artful; shrewd; sly; crafty; astute; designing; as a cunning fellow.

They are resolved to be cunning; let others run the hazard of being sincere.

In this sense, the purpose or final end of the person may not be illaudalbe; but cunning implies the use of artifice to accomplish the purpose, rather than open, candid, or direct means. Hence,

4. Deceitful; trickish; employing stratagems for a bad purpose.

5. Assumed with subtilty; artful.

Accounting his integrity to be but a cunning face of falsehood.

CUNNING, noun

1. Knowledge; art; skill; dexterity.

Let my right hand forget her cunning Psalms 137:5.

2. Art; artifice; artfulness; craft; shrewdness; the faculty or act of using stratagem to accomplish a purpose. Hence in a bad sense, deceitfulness or deceit; fraudulent skill or dexterity.

Discourage cunning in a child; cunning is the ape of wisdom.

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Word of the Day

importance

IMPORT'ANCE, n.

1. Weight; consequence; a bearing on some interest; that quality of any thing by which it may affect a measure, interest or result. The education of youth is of great importance to a free government. A religious education is of infinite importance to every human being.

2. Weight or consequence in the scale of being.

Thy own importance know.

Nor bound thy narrow views to things below.

3. Weight or consequence in self-estimation.

He believes himself a man of importance.

4. Thing implied; matter; subject; importunity. [In these senses, obsolete.]

Random Word

description

DESCRIPTION, n.

1. The act of delineating, or representing the figure of any thing by a plan, to be presented to the eye.

2. The figure or appearance of any thing delineated, or represented by visible lines, marks, colors, &c.; as the description of a country, or of Solomons temple.

3. The act of representing a thing by words or by signs, or the passage containing such representation; a representation of names, nature of properties, that gives to another a view of the thing. Homer abounds with beautiful and striking descriptions.

4. A definition. All definitions must be less perfect descriptions of a material thing, than a visible figure or delineation.

5. The qualities expressed in a representation; as, a man of this description. Hence,

6. The persons having the qualities expressed; a class of persons to whom a description is applicable, or who are in a similar condition.

The secretary proceeds to examine, whether a difference ought to be permitted to remain between them and another description of public creditors.

Persons of different descriptions.

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