trickery

American  

[trik-uh-ree] / ˈtrɪk ə ri /

noun

plural

trickeries

1. the use or practice of tricks or stratagems to deceive; artifice; deception.

2. a trick used to deceive.

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trickery British  

/ ˈtrɪkərɪ /

noun

1. the practice or an instance of using tricks

   he obtained the money by trickery

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Related Words

See duplicity.

Etymology

Origin of trickery

First recorded in 1790–1800; trick + -ery

Explanation

When tricks of any kind are used to fool or deceive someone, especially for financial gain, that's trickery. If you suspect that a cute kid has scammed you out of twenty dollars, you have every right to accuse him of trickery. Trickery is using pretense or sleight of hand or fast talking to cheat a person out of some amount of money, the way a card sharp or a con man might do. The earliest use of trick was in this negative sense — a mean ruse or cheat. Trickery simply adds the Middle English ery to the end to form a new noun.

Example Sentences

Trickery from Virginia in the third quarter backfired soon after Armstrong handed off to Keytaon Thompson, who flipped the ball back to him.

From Washington Post • Nov. 27, 2021

Trickery gave Miami its first lead of a 28-20 victory over Oakland in the fourth quarter when Ryan Tannehill handed off to Frank Gore, who tossed the ball to Albert Wilson on an end-around.

From Washington Times • Sep. 23, 2018

Q. Twin Trickery: I have an identical twin brother.

From Slate • Aug. 17, 2015

Trickery and excessive contact, which Cortés sees as an Argentine import, have also reinforced associations between machismo and football.

From New York Times • Jul. 1, 2011

But later, when they were underground, silent and drowsy, he said suddenly, “The gifts of El-ahrairah. Trickery; great danger; and blessing for the warren.”

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Related Words

• chicanery
• deceit
• dishonesty
• razzle-dazzle
• scam
• shell game
• stunt