ar ‧ ti ‧ fice /ˈɑːtəfəs, ˈɑːtɪfəs $ ˈɑːr-/ BrE AmE noun formal
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: French ; Origin: Latin artificium , from artifex 'skilled worker' , from ars ( ⇨ ↑ art 1 ) + facere 'to make' ]
1 . [uncountable] the use of clever tricks to deceive someone SYN cunning
2 . [countable] a trick used to deceive someone