Palming

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A technique used in sleight of hand involving the manipulation of items without detection
2. The practice of holding or handling something in a way that obscures it from observation or attention
3. The act of concealing an object in the palm of the hand to prevent visibility while performing a trick or task

Etymology: The most striking part of this story is that "palm" as a verb for sleight of hand is a metaphor from the hand itself. Latin "palma" meant the flat of the hand, and it was also used for the palm tree, whose fan-shaped leaves resembled an open hand. English took "palm" from Old French "palme" and "paume," which also meant the palm of the hand and, in the game of tennis, the ball. Hiding a small object inside a closed hand is simply a matter of concealing it in the palm, so a verb meaning to conceal something while holding it grew naturally from that anatomy. The "-ing" ending is the ordinary English suffix that turns a verb into a present participle or gerund, so "palming" describes the act of concealing as it happens or as an activity. The base meaning stayed close to the hand: to cover, hide, or pass off something held in the palm.

Synonyms: concealing, hiding, sneaking