1. a person who performs magic tricks with skillful hand movements; a magician or sleight-of-hand artist
2. a person who uses clever deception or trickery to achieve a goal
Usage: figurative

Examples

• The prestidigitator made a coin disappear and reappear behind the child's ear.
• She was a skilled prestidigitator who could shuffle a deck of cards with remarkable speed.
• The politician was accused of being a prestidigitator, using rhetorical tricks to distract from the real issues.
• At the birthday party, the prestidigitator performed card tricks that amazed all the guests.
• His financial prestidigitation—moving money between accounts—eventually caught the attention of auditors.
• The magician's prestidigitator hands moved so quickly that no one could follow the sleight of hand.