• Quick-handed

    Alternative forms

    Full definition of quick-handed

    Adjective

    quick-handed

    1. Quick and dextrous.
      • 1956, William Ernest Kuhn, Textbooks on Economic Thought: An Analysis of Some of Their Shortcomings, Ironically, the successful conviction on the part of Columbia's graduate students to preserve for posterity what I believe is perhaps the most thorough-going and most painlessly digested summary of economic-thought developments has never had Professor Mitchell's backing, and before his death Mitchell disclaimed any responsibility for errors that might have slipped into the quick-handed note taker's record since Mitchell had not even read what must have become the treasured possession of many a mature intellect among the large number of his students from both this country and abroad.
      • 1973, Anne Storz, Psychology '73-'74, Particularly bright people did not turn out to be especially quick-handed, and particularly quick-handed people did not turn out to be especially bright.
      • 2002, John Cassidy & ‎B. C. Rimbeaux, Juggling for the Complete Klutz, This is an interesting trick, but I include it with some reluctance because it requires one very quick-handed juggler, and since quick-handedness and klutziness are not often associated, this might create a problem.
    2. Done quickly and efficiently.
      • 1990, Steve Allen, Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, & Morality, I should like first to thank Cristina Gutierrez, of my office staff, for her tireless and quick-handed work transcribing the hundreds of tape-cassettes on which the various drafts of the present work have been dictated.
      • 2005, Jennifer New, Drawing From Life: The Journal as Art, Of the quick-handed sketches, the young furniture designer enthuses, "I find it's so important to keep jotting down ideas, even if they're the worst ideas in the world.
      • 2011, Tamara Duricka Johnson, 31 Dates in 31 Days, When Hector completed his quick-handed twists, he gave the cube to Jon.

    Adverb

    quick-handed

    1. Quickly and efficiently.
      • 1890, Ralph Thomas Hotchkin Griffith, The Hymns of the Rigveda - Volume 2, They drain the stalk out with their arms, quick-handed, and cleanse it with a stream of mead and filters.
      • 2000, C. P. Snow, The Malcontents, As the two men, quick-handed, laid Bernard on a stretcher, Tess asked: 'Is he dead?'
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