a. [f. ART sb. + -FUL.]
I. Of persons or agents.
† 1. Versed in the (liberal) arts; learned, wise.
1613. Heywood, Braz. Age, II. ii. Wks. III. 213. A beauteous Lady, art-full wise.
1681. Jordan, Lond. Joy, in Heath, Grocers’ Comp. (1869), 544. A piece worthy of an artful man’s Examination.
2. Having practical, operative or constructive skill; dexterous, clever. arch.
1697. Dryden, Life Virgil (1709), I. 46 (R.). Though he were too Artful a Writer to set down Events in exact Historical order.
1710. Shaftesb., Charac., III. i. (1737), II. 385. Subtile Threds spun from their artful Mouths!
1718. Pope, Iliad, XIV. 204. Her artful hands the radiant tresses tied.
3. Skilful in adapting means to ends, so as to secure the accomplishment of a purpose, adroit; passing gradually into: Skilful in taking an unfair advantage; using stratagem, wily; cunning, crafty, deceitful.
1739. T. Sheridan, Persius, i. 23. Horace was more artful, and in a merry Way touched upon his Friends’ Faults with out putting them out of Humour.
1760. Mitchell, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 480, IV. 419. Make use of the artful pen of Voltaire to draw secrets from the King of Prussia.
1797. Bewick, Brit. Birds, I. 73. Made use of by artful and designing men.
1857. Bohn’s Handbk. Prov., 67. An artful fellow is the devil in a doublet.
II. Of things, actions, etc.
4. Displaying or characterized by technical skill; performed or executed in accordance with the rules of art; artistic. arch.
1615. Latham’s Falconry, Pref. Verses. To … force her to your voice and luring fall, Is strangely artfull.
1637. Milton, Comus, 494. Thyrsis! whose artful strains have oft delayed The huddling brook.
1718. J. Chamberlayne, Relig. Philos., I. vi. § 8. So artful a Machine as every Man is.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, I. 41. It would not be deemed an artful performance to fire one cartouch after another.
5. Produced by art, as opposed to what is natural; artificial, imitative, unreal.
1706. Addison, Rosamond, II. i. In yon cool grotto’s artful night.
1779. J. Moore, View Soc. Fr., viii. (1789), I. 55. The artful distresses of a romance.
1857. Emerson, Poems, 114. Smite the chords … That they may render back Artful thunder.
6. Skilfully adapted for the accomplishment of a purpose; ingenious, clever; passing gradually into: Cunning, crafty, deceitful.
1705. Stanhope, Paraphr., I. 217. Artful Reasonings, and most moving Eloquence.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 400, ¶ 2. Artful Conformity to the Modesty of a Woman’s Manners.
1843. Mill, Logic, II. iv. § 4. The marks, by an artful combination of which men have been able to discover and prove all that is proved in geometry.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., xv. This is a very artful dodge.
