The phrase "doeth vanishing act" contains an archaic alternative spelling of the present tense verb "does." The IPA phonetic transcription for "doeth" is /dʌθ/, with the "th" sound pronounced as in "thin." This spelling is no longer commonly used in modern English, but appears in some older texts, particularly those from the Middle English period. "Vanishing act" is a more straightforward compound noun, with the IPA transcription /ˈvænɪʃɪŋ ˌækt/.
The phrase "doeth vanishing act" is not found in traditional dictionaries, as it is a combination of archaic language and colloquialism. However, we can provide a definition by dissecting and interpreting its constituent parts.
Firstly, the word "doeth" is an archaic form of "does," used primarily in early modern English. It conveys the idea of performing an action or carrying out a task.
Secondly, "vanishing" refers to an act of disappearing or becoming invisible; it is associated with the action of swiftly going out of sight or ceasing to exist.
Lastly, "act" in this context refers to a deliberate and planned behavior, often intended to deceive or entertain others.
Therefore, when combined, "doeth vanishing act" can be understood as an idiomatic expression that describes someone conducting or executing the artifice of vanishing. In colloquial language, it is used to depict a person's sudden disappearance or their ability to deceive others by seemingly erasing themselves from a situation. It can be metaphorical, referring to someone avoiding or escaping a given scenario, or it may be literal, incorporating the notion of performing tricks to create an illusion of disappearance.