artifice
trick, artifice
noun ar-tee-FEES Rare
Origin: Latin artificium (skill, craft) from ars (art) + facere (to make)
Also means
firework (in plural: feux d'artifice)
Usage Note
Artifice on its own means a clever trick or contrivance. However, it is most commonly encountered in the fixed phrase feux d'artifice (fireworks) — literally 'fires of artifice'. The plural artifices can refer to rhetorical tricks or stage effects. The adjective artificiel (artificial) shares the same root.
Examples
"Les feux d'artifice ont illuminé le ciel."
Natural Translation
The fireworks lit up the sky.
Literal Translation
The fires of artifice illuminated the sky.
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