- the action of touching with the hands or the skillful use of the hands

- exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for one''s own advantage
"his manipulation of his friends was scandalous"

1. The act or process of manipulating, or the state of being manipulated; the act of handling work by hand; use of the hands, in an artistic or skillful manner, in science or art.

"Manipulation is to the chemist like the external senses to the mind." -- Whewell.

2. The use of the hands in mesmeric operations.

3. Artful management; as, the manipulation of political bodies; sometimes, a management or treatment for purposes of deception or fraud.