cleas

• IPA^(key): /clʲasˠ/

From Old Irish cles (“feat”). Perhaps ultimately related to cluiche (“joke, game”).^[1]

cleas m (genitive singular clis or cleasa, nominative plural cleasa or cleasanna)

1. trick
   • 27 June 2015, Alan Titley, "Caimléireacht scrúdaithe", The Irish Times

     Is é an cleas is fearr, gan amhras, ná go mbeadh an obair déanta, […]

     The best trick, of course, is that the work is done, […]

2. feat
3. knack
4. act

Alternative declension:

• cleasach (“playful, tricky”)
• cleasaí (“joker”)
• lúthchleas (“athletics”)

From English class.

cleas m (genitive singular cleas, nominative plural cleasanna)

1. (derogatory) class (of persons), gang

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “cles”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “cleas”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 146
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “cleas”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “cleas”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “cleas”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2025

From Old Irish cles (“feat”). Perhaps ultimately related to cluich (“joke, game”).^[1]

• IPA^(key): /kʰles/

cleas m (genitive singular cleasa, plural cleasan)

1. prank, joke
2. (dated) act, feat, exploit
3. trick, stunt, device

• cleasachd f (“play, playing; recreation; juggling; conjuring”)
• cleasaich (“play”, verb)