craftily, adv.
(ˈkrɑːftɪlɪ, -æ-)
Forms: 1 cræftiᵹl{iacu}ce, 4 craftilik, -liche, -lyche, -li, 4–6 craftyly, craftely, 4– craftily.
[f. crafty + -ly2: the spelling craftely perh. sometimes stands for the parallel craftly.]
1. Skilfully, cleverly: see crafty 2. arch.
| [c 900 Bæda's Hist. iv. xix. (1891) 324 Seo heafodstow wundor cræftiᵹlice ᵹeworht æteowde.] c 1050 Gloss in Wr.-Wülcker 402/21 Fabre cræftiᵹlice. a 1300 Cursor M. 150 (Cott.) O salamon þe wis, How craftilik [v.r. craftili, crafteli] he did iustis. c 1386 Chaucer Man of Law's T. Prol. 48 On metres and on rymyng craftely. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xi. 42 Þe dures er of cipresse, craftily made. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1570) 40 Many are which others can counsayle craftely. 1549 Coverdale Erasm. Par. 1 Pet. 8 Wyues..with their heare craftyly broyded. 1604 Shakes. Oth. ii. iii. 41, I haue drunke but one Cup to night, and that was craftily qualified too. 1883 Punch 8 Sept. 112/1 A craftily-prepared salad. |
2. In bad sense: Cunningly, artfully, wilily.
| 1509–10 Act 1 Hen. VIII, c. 6 Preamb., Craftely feyned and forged informacions. 1550 Crowley Way to Wealth 168 If thou haue not craftely vndermined him. 1628 Wither Brit. Rememb. v. 1387 So craftily a bait was laid. 1710 Prideaux Orig. Tithes v. 276 The Conqueror..craftily put them under the same Title. 1884 Church Bacon ii. 43 They were playing cautiously and craftily. |