prestige, prestige

[French=fascination, magic spell, magic power, from Lat. præstigium =a deceiving by juggling tricks, a delusion: præstigie =tricks, trickery: præ before, and stig-, root of stinguo to extinguish; allied to Gr.stizō -to prick; Eng. stick. Prestige is one of the rare instances of a word acquiring a good in place of a bad meaning. Ital. & Sp. prestigio.] 1. An illusion, a trick, a juggling trick, a delusion, an imposture. "The sophisms of infidelity, and the prestiges of imposture." -War burton: Works , vol. ix., ser. 5. 2. Influence or weight derived from former fame, excellence, or achievements; influence or weight arising from a confident expectation of future succe es or triumphs derived from previous achievements. Times. "The power and prestige which it has gained through the succe of the present strike is prodigious." - London *près-tig-1-āte, v. t. deceive, to cheat. p. 10.) [PRESTIGIATION.] Το ( Dent: Pathway to Heaven, *pres-tig-i-ā-tion, s. [Lat. præstigiæ =tricks.] [PRESTIGE.] The acting or playing of legerdemain; juggling, trickery, prestidigitation. "Divers kinds of fascinations, incantations, prestigi ations." -Howell: Letters , iii. 23.