Forms: 4– cunning; also 4–5 konyng, (north.) cunnand, connand, conand(e, -aunde, 4–6 kunnyng(e, -ing, konnyng, connyng(e, conyng(e, -inge, 5–6 cuning, cunnyng(e, 5–7 conning, 6 connninge. [Orig. type *cunnende, pres. pple. of CAN v.1 (inf. OE. cunnan, ME. cunnen, connen), in its earlier sense ‘to know’; hence orig. = ‘knowing.’ Not found in OE., but in regular use from 14th c. both in the northern form cunnand, and the midl. and south. cunning, connyng. The derivative conandscipe occurs in Cursor Mundi, Cotton MS.]
† 1. Possessing knowledge or learning, learned; versed in († of) a subject. Obs.
1325. Metr. Hom., 93. He wil that they … be cunnand in his seruise.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 4810. [Þei] were hold … konyngest of kurtesie, and kowden fairest speke.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 378. Als as he were a connynge Clerke.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., III. x. 335. Myche kunnynger and better leerned.
c. 1450. Merlin, 17. The Iuges seiden he moste be connynge of moche thynge.
1526. Tindale, Matt. xiii. 52. Every scrybe which is coninge vnto the kyngdom of heven.
1667. H. More, Div. Dial., I. x. (1713), 19. I perceive you are cunninger than I in that Philosophy.
[1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., V. xxiii. 128. The race of feudal lawyers is now beginning to creep into light, in the person of Randolf Flambard and the other cunning clerks of the King’s chapel.]
b. transf. Of things: Characterized by or full of knowledge or learning, learned.
1519. Interl. Four Elem., in Hazl., Dodsley, I. 7. If cunning Latin books were translate Into English.
1534. Tindale, 1 Cor. ii. 13. Which thinges also we speake, not in the connynge wordes of mannes wysdome, but with the connynge wordes of the holy goost.
1630. Davenant, Just Italian, Wks. (1673), 445/2. Stones of the cunningst soil.
2. Possessing practical knowledge of skill; able, skilful, expert, dexterous, clever. (Formerly the prevailing sense; now only a literary archaism.)
1382. Wyclif, 1 Sam. xvi. 18. The sone of Ysaye Bethlemyte, kunnynge to harpe.
1389. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 46. An Aldirman able and konyng to reulen and gouern þe company.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Kings, Contents ch. v. Hiram … sendeth Salomon connynge craftesmen to buylde the Temple.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., III. iv. 312. And [= if] I thought he had beene valiant, and so cunning in Fence.
1690. Locke, Govt., II. xix. The tools of Cunninger workmen.
1718. Prior, To C’tess of Exeter, 37. While Luke his Skill exprest, A cunning Angel came, and drew the rest.
1843. Prescott, Mexico, V. vii. (1864), 322. Most cunning in the management of their weapons.
b. transf. Showing skill or expertness; skilfully contrived or executed; skilful, ingenious.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., xcvii. Fair-calling, hir vschere, That coude his office doon in connyng wise.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Chron. ii. 14. To carue all maner of thinges, and to make what connynge thinge so euer is geuen him.
1587. Turberv., Trag. T. (1837), 133. The cook … made a cunning messe Of meate thereof.
1611. Bible, Ex. xxxix. 8. He made the brestplate of cunning worke.
1699. Dampier, Voy., II. II. 68. They have a peculiar and wonderful cunning way of building…. Their Nests hang down two or three foot from the twigs.
1842. Tennyson, Vision of Sin, IV. xxxi. Joints of cunning workmanship.
† 3. spec. Possessing magical knowledge or skill: in cunning man, cunning woman, a fortune-teller, conjurer, ‘wise man,’ ‘wise woman,’ wizard or witch. (Also hyphened cunning-man.) Obs. (or ? dial.)
[c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 653. Ful conyng was sche and coynt, and couþe fele þinges, of charmes and of chauntemens to schewe harde castis.]
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., IV. i. 34. A cunning man did calculate my birth, And told me that by Water I should dye.
1609. B. Jonson, Sil. Wom., II. i. Going in disguise to that conjurer and this cunning woman.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 505, ¶ 4. How many Wizards, Gypsies, and Cunning-Men.
1797. Sporting Mag., X. 273. The wife … went to a cunning woman to discover the thief.
1807. Southey, Espriella’s Lett., II. 342. A Cunning-Man, or a Cunning-Woman, as they are termed, is to be found near every town.
4. Possessing keen intelligence, wit or insight; knowing, clever.
1671. J. Webster, Metallogr., vi. 106. Wiser heads, and cunninger wits.
1710. Philips, Pastorals, ii. 55. Against ill Luck all cunning Foresight fails.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xix. Your groom rides your horses because he is a cunninger animal than they.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Wealth, Wks. (Bohn), II. 73. [These] provisions … have exercised the cunningest heads in a profession which never admits a fool.
5. In bad sense: Skilful in compassing one’s ends by covert means; clever in circumventing; crafty, artful, guileful, sly. (The prevailing modern sense.)
[1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. i. 1. That conning Architect of cancred guyle.]
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., II. ii. 111. Whatsoeuer cunning fiend it was That wrought upon thee. Ibid. (1611), Cymb., I. iv. 100. A cunning Thiefe, or a (that way) accomplish’d Courtier, would hazzard the winning both of first and last.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xvi. 54. Like cunning thieves, desiring that the prey … should not escape out of their hands.
1752. Johnson, Rambler, No. 193, ¶ 1. The cunning will have recourse to stratagem, and the powerful to violence.
1841. Elphinstone, Hist. Ind., II. 173. He was not naturally either cunning or cruel.
1864. Kingsley, Rom. & Teut., iii. (1875), 73. The stronger, if not the cunninger of the two.
b. Of things: Showing or characterized by craftiness; crafty.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. iii. 17. Then he by conning sleights in at the window crept.
1611. Bible, Eph. iv. 14. By the sleight of men, and cunning craftinesse, whereby they lye in waite to deceiue.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, iii. His black eyes were restless, sly, and cunning.
1872. E. Peacock, Mabel Heron, I. iii. 49. If I didn’t know your cunning ways.
6. U. S. colloq. Quaintly interesting or pretty, attractive, taking; as having attributed to it the qualities described in sense 2 b, or (as said of young children) in 4 or 5. (Cf. CANNY 9.)
1854. Mrs. Stowe, Sunny Memories, I. 161. My eye had been caught by some cunning little tubs and pails in a window.
1885. G. Allen, Babylon, i. Ain’t it a cunning little egg?
1887. E. Eggleston, in Century Mag., Nov., 43/1. As a child, she had been called ‘cunning’ in the popular American use of the word when applied to children; that is to say, piquantly interesting.
1888. The Lady, 25 Oct., 374/3. ‘Cunning’ little shelves for small bits of pottery.
