jugglery

jugglery

English

Etymology

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

Noun

jugglery (countable and uncountable, plural juggleries)

1. (now rare) Witchcraft, sorcery; magical trickery, legerdemain.
   • 1819, Sir Walter Scott, The Bride of Lammermoor, ch. 31:

     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, FE Bunnett, translating Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, 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

• juggling