trick

I. noun Etymology: Middle English trikke, from Anglo-French *trik, from trikier to deceive, cheat, from Vulgar Latin *triccare, alteration of Latin tricari to behave evasively, shuffle, from tricae complications, trifles Date: 15th century 1. a. a crafty procedure or practice meant to deceive or defraud b. a mischievous act ; prank c. an indiscreet or childish action d. a deceptive, dexterous, or ingenious feat; especially one designed to puzzle or amuse <

a juggler's tricks

> 2. a. a habitual peculiarity of behavior or manner <

a horse with the trick of shying

> b. a characteristic and identifying feature <

a trick of speech

> c. a delusive appearance especially when caused by art or legerdemain ; an optical illusion <

a mere trick of the light

> 3. a. (1) a quick or artful way of getting a result ; knack <

the trick is to make it look natural

> (2) an instance of getting a desired result <

one small adjustment will do the trick

> b. a technical device (as of an art or craft) <

the tricks of stage technique

> 4. the cards played in one round of a card game often used as a scoring unit 5. a. a turn of duty at the helm usually lasting for two hours b. shift 4b(1) c. a trip taken as part of one's employment d. a sexual act performed by a prostitute <

turning tricks

>; also john 2 6. an attractive child or woman <

a cute little trick

> Synonyms: trick, ruse, stratagem, maneuver, artifice, wile, feint mean an indirect means to gain an end. trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end <

the tricks of the trade

>. ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression <

the ruses of smugglers

>. stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy <

the stratagem-filled game

>. maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty <

last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy

>. artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention <

the clever artifices of the stage

>. wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements <

used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself

>. feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent <

a feint toward the enemy's left flank

>. II. transitive verb Date: circa 1500 1. to dress or adorn fancifully or ornately ; ornament <

tricked out in a gaudy uniform

> 2. to deceive by cunning or artifice ; cheat III. adjective Date: circa 1530 1. trig 2. a. of or relating to or involving tricks or trickery <

trick photography

> <

trick dice

> b. skilled in or used for tricks <

a trick horse

> 3. a. somewhat defective and unreliable <

a trick lock

> b. inclined to give way unexpectedly <

a trick knee

>