2. Workmanship; a skillfully contrived work.
The material universe.. in the artifice of God, the
artifice of the best Mechanist. --Cudworth.
3. Artful or skillful contrivance.
His [Congreve's] plots were constructed without much
artifice. --Craik.
4. Crafty device; an artful, ingenious, or elaborate trick.
Note: [Now the usual meaning.]
Those who were conscious of guilt employed
numerous artifices for the purpose of averting
inquiry. --Macaulay.