Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - maneuver

 I. noun  Etymology: French man?uvre, from Old French maneuvre work done by hand, from Medieval Latin manuopera, from manu operare to perform manual labor — more at manure  Date: 1758  1.  a. a military or naval movement  b. an armed forces training exercise; especially an extended and large-scale training exercise involving military and naval units separately or in combination — often used in plural  2. a procedure or method of working usually involving expert physical movement  3.  a. evasive movement or shift of tactics  b. an intended and controlled variation from a straight and level flight path in the operation of an airplane  4.  a. an action taken to gain a tactical end  b. an adroit and clever management of affairs often using trickery and deception  Synonyms: see trick  II. verb  (~ed; ~ing)  Date: 1777  intransitive verb  1.  a. to perform a movement in military or naval tactics in order to secure an advantage  b. to make a series of changes in direction and position for a specific purpose  2. to use stratagems ; scheme  transitive verb  1. to cause to execute tactical movements  2. to manage into or out of a position or condition ; manipulate  3.  a. to guide with adroitness and design  b. to bring about or secure as a result of skillful management  • ~ability noun  • ~able adjective  • ~er noun