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cun·ning

(kŭnĭng)

adj.

1. Marked by or given to artful subtlety and deceptiveness.

2. Executed with or exhibiting ingenuity.

3. Delicately pleasing; pretty or cute: a cunning pet.

1. Skill in deception; guile.

2. Skill or adeptness in execution or performance; dexterity.

[Middle English, present participle of connen, to know, from Old English cunnan; see gnō- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

cunning·ly adv.

cunning·ness n.

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.

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