maneuver

I. noun Etymology: French manœuvre, from Old French maneuvre work done by hand, from Medieval Latin manuopera, from manu operare to perform manual labor — more at manure Date: 1758 1. a. a military or naval movement b. an armed forces training exercise; especially an extended and large-scale training exercise involving military and naval units separately or in combination — often used in plural 2. a procedure or method of working usually involving expert physical movement 3. a. evasive movement or shift of tactics b. an intended and controlled variation from a straight and level flight path in the operation of an airplane 4. a. an action taken to gain a tactical end b. an adroit and clever management of affairs often using trickery and deception Synonyms: see trick II. verb (maneuvered; maneuvering) Date: 1777 intransitive verb 1. a. to perform a movement in military or naval tactics in order to secure an advantage b. to make a series of changes in direction and position for a specific purpose 2. to use stratagems ; scheme transitive verb 1. to cause to execute tactical movements 2. to manage into or out of a position or condition ; manipulate 3. a. to guide with adroitness and design b. to bring about or secure as a result of skillful management • maneuverability noun • maneuverable adjective • maneuverer noun