SUBTLE, SUBTLETY
ADJECTIVES
► ASTUCIOUS astute, subtle, crafty, cunning, shrewd → 1823
► QUIDIFICAL quibbling, captious; triflingly subtle → 1542 obs.
► QUIRKSOME subtle → 1896 Sc.
► QUISQUOUS perplexing, subtle; difficult to discuss, deal with, or settle; ticklish → 1721 Sc.
► VETERATORIAN crafty, cunning, subtle, wily, sly, deceitful; gotten by long use, experienced → 1656 obs.
NOUNS
► DEEPNESS deep cunning or subtlety → 1526 obs.
► DEEPTH craft, subtlety → 19C Eng. dial.
► HAFTING subtle dealing, dodging, cavilling; holding off, hesitation, demur → 1519 obs.
► IMAGINEMENT contrivance, subtlety → c1470 obs.
► SUBTILESSE subtlety → 1471 obs.
► SUBTILISM subtle doctrine → 1855
► SUBTILITY acuteness, perspicacity, subtlety → 1388
► SUBTLEHEAD subtlety → 1340 obs.
► SUBTLESHIP subtlety → 1614 obs.
► VAIDIE subtlety, guileful cunning → c1325 obs.
NOUNS – PERSON
► SIM SUBTLE a subtle or crafty person → 1581 obs.
► SUBTILIST one who is addicted to subtleties → 1667
VERBS
► CUT A FEATHER to make fine distinctions; to split hairs, to be over-subtle or captious → a1634
► HAFT to use subtlety or deceit; to use shifts or dodges; to haggle, to cavil; to avoid coming to the point, to hold off, to hang back, to hesitate → 1519 obs.
► SUBTILIZE to argue or reason in a subtle manner; to split hairs → 1592
► SUBTLIZE to indulge in subtleties → 1821
Lexicophilia 