manipulate

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To move, arrange, operate, or control by the hands or by mechanical means, especially in a skillful manner: She manipulated the lights to get just the effect she wanted.
2. v. To influence or manage shrewdly or deviously: He manipulated public opinion in his favor.
3. v. To tamper with or falsify for personal gain: tried to manipulate stock prices.
4. v. Medicine To handle and move in an examination or for therapeutic purposes: manipulate a joint; manipulate the position of a fetus during delivery.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To handle, or act on with the hands, as in artistic or mechanical operations; hence, in general, to subject to certain mechanical operations or to some method of handling, arranging, combining, etc.: as, the chemist exercises great care in manipulating his materials and apparatus.
2. Figuratively, to operate upon by contrivance or influence; affect in a particular way by a definite course of treatment; manage; specifically, to manage insidiously; adapt or apply to one's own purpose or advantage; treat or use falsely or deceptively: as, to manipulate accounts or the facts of history (with the purpose of falsifying them).
3. To use the hands, as in mechanical or artistic operations, scientific experiments, mesmerism, etc.: as, to manipulate neatly or successfully.

Wiktionary

1. v. transitive To move, arrange or operate something using the hands
2. v. transitive To influence, manage, direct, control or tamper with something
3. v. transitive, medicine To handle and move a body part, either as an examination or for a therapeutic purpose

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To treat, work, or operate with the hands, especially when knowledge and dexterity are required; to manage in hand work; to handle.
2. v. To control the action of, by management; also, to manage artfully or fraudulently.
3. v. To use the hands in dexterous operations; to do hand work to manage the apparatus or instruments used in scientific work, or in artistic or mechanical processes; also, specifically, to use the hand in mesmeric operations.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. hold something in one's hands and move it
2. v. influence or control shrewdly or deviously
3. v. control (others or oneself) or influence skillfully, usually to one's advantage
4. v. treat manually, as with massage, for therapeutic purposed
5. v. tamper, with the purpose of deception
6. v. manipulate in a fraudulent manner