use-icon

HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY

To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.

Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.

guide to the dictionary

use-icon

THE USAGE PANEL

The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.

The Panelists

open-icon

AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP

The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android.

scroll-icon

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG

The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more.

100-words-icon

See word lists from the best-selling 100 Words Series!

Find out more!

open-icon

INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?

Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com

ma·neu·ver (mə-nvər, -ny-)
Share:
n.
1.
a. A movement or combination of movements involving skill and dexterity: a gymnastics maneuver.
b. A controlled change in movement or direction of a moving vehicle or vessel, as in the flight path of an aircraft.
2.
a. A strategic or tactical military or naval movement.
b. often maneuvers A large-scale tactical exercise carried out under simulated conditions of war.
3.
a. A skillful or cunning action undertaken to gain an end: "the canny maneuvers of a man after money and ease" (Cynthia Ozick). See Synonyms at wile.
b. The undertaking of such actions: "a skilled diplomat's eye for maneuver" (Garry Wills).
v. ma·neu·vered, ma·neu·ver·ing, ma·neu·vers
v.intr.
1. To make a controlled series of changes in movement or direction toward an objective: maneuvered to get closer to the stage.
2. To carry out a military or naval maneuver.
3. To act with skill or cunning in gaining an end: The opposition maneuvered to force a vote.
v.tr.
1. To move or direct through a series of movements or changes in course: maneuvered the drill into position; maneuvered the car through traffic.
2. To alter the tactical placement of (troops or warships).
3. To manipulate into a desired position or toward a predetermined goal: maneuvered him into signing the contract.

[French manœuvre, from Old French maneuvre, manual work, from Medieval Latin manuopera, from Latin manū operārī, to work by hand : manū, ablative of manus, hand; see man-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + operārī, to work; see op- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

ma·neuver·a·bili·ty n.
ma·neuver·a·ble adj.
ma·neuver·er n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.