Tried yet failed to acquire by skill (9)
I believe the answer is:
dexterity
'skill' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
I can't explain the rest of the clue.
(Other definitions for dexterity that I've seen before include "Skill in handling things, adroitness" , "Sleight" , "Skill of manipulation" , "Physical skill in handling things" , "Manual skill" .)