stellionate

[ stel-yuh-nit, -neyt ]

noun

, Civil Law, Scots Law.

1. any crime of unspecified class that involves fraud, especially one that involves the selling of the same property to different people.

Word History and Origins

Origin of stellionate¹

1615–25; < Latin stelliōnātus deceit, underhandedness, equivalent to stelliōn- (stem of stelliō ) lizard, crafty person + -ātus -ate ³