praestīgĭae (noun F) : (rare in the sing.;
* Praestigiae,Prud. Peristeph. 2, 86), f.praestinguo, deceptions, illusions, jugglers' tricks, sleights, feats of legerdemain; lit. and trop. (class.; cf. captio): patent praestigiae,Plaut. Capt. 3, 3, 9: verborum,deceptive use of words,Cic. Fin. 4, 27, 74: quasi praestigiis quibusdam et captionibus depelli,id. Ac. 2, 14, 45: omnes meos dolos, fallacias, Praestigias praestrinxit commoditas patris, Caecil. ap. Cic. N. D. 3, 29, 73 (Com. Rel. p. 59 Rib.): non per praestigias, sed palam compilare,by stratagem, secretly,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 24, § 53; Liv. 6, 15 fin.: Graecae istorum praestigiae philosophari sese dicentium,Gell. 13, 23, 2: nubium, the deceptive images formed by the clouds, App. de Mundo, p. 23, 32.—In sing.: praestigiae plausum petere,Quint. 4, 1, 77; so Tert. adv. Marc. 3, 24 fin.

s. TLL