technique

plural techniques · alternative US dated technic

1. uncountableThe practical aspects of a given art, occupation etc.; formal requirements.First known use 19th c.

   Brahms, after realizing that the technique of the piano was developing along mistaken lines, and his own danger of stereotyping his style, keeps away from it for most of his middle age [...].

   1924, HE Wortham, A Musical Odyssey, page 97

   1 more example

   Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus. That’s because the lenses that are excellent at magnifying tiny subjects produce a narrow depth of field. A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that.

   2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist

2. uncountablePractical ability in some given field or practice, often as opposed to creativity or imaginative skill.First known use 19th c.

   Yet those who packed concert halls to listen to him sing, as Indians did for over six decades, rarely mentioned his technique.

   2011 February 3, “Bhimsen Joshi”, in The Economist

3. countableA method of achieving something or carrying something out, especially one requiring some skill or knowledge.First known use 19th c.

   They said executives were warned about one technique nicknamed "carpet karaoke", which involved bending deportees over in aircraft seats to silence them.

   2011 March 16, Paul Lewis, Matthew Taylor, The Guardian