Both Uses of
feint
in
Hard Times
- 'I can go, Mr. Bounderby, if you wish it,' said that self-sacrificing lady, making a feint of taking her foot out of the stirrup.†
Chpt 1.11 *
- He made a feint of adjusting the lining, and said, 'Yes.'†
Chpt 2.4
Definition:
-
(feint) any distracting or deceptive maneuver; or the act of making the maneuvereditor's notes: Feint is most typically used for physical maneuvers as when boxing, fencing, or moving troops where a mock attack diverts attention from the real attack. But it can also be used much more generally as when Charlotte Bronte wrote of "a mere feint of politeness."