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bunco

[buhng-koh]Informal.
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noun, plural bun·cos, verb, bun·coed, bun·co·ing.
  1. bunko.
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bunko

or bun·co

[buhng-koh]Informal.
noun, plural bun·kos.
  1. a swindle in which a person is cheated at gambling, persuaded to buy a nonexistent, unsalable, or worthless object, or otherwise victimized.
  2. any misrepresentation.
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verb (used with object), bun·koed, bun·ko·ing.
  1. to victimize by a bunko.
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Origin of bunko

1880–85; shortened form of bunkum; cf. -o
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

infidelity, betrayal, treason, crook, swindler, hustler, chicanery, scam, trickery, fraud, deception, swindle, deceit, conspiracy, graft, complicity, pretend, delude, mislead, fleece

Examples from the Web for bunco

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • Bunco grinned at this, and observed that it was “time for hims be go sleep.”

  • The active trapper and Bunco were at their heels in a moment.

  • You try to bunco me and now you conspire with an imbecile to humble me into the dust.

    Old Ebenezer

    Opie Read

  • At this point Bunco was interrupted by a shout of “Land ho!”

    Lost in the Forest

    R.M. Ballantyne

  • Dey do us no harm,” said Bunco, grinning, “only chok full ob fun!

    Lost in the Forest

    R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for bunco

bunco

bunko

US informal
noun plural -cos or -kos
  1. a swindle, esp one by confidence tricksters
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verb -cos, -coing, -coed, -kos, -koing or -koed
  1. (tr) to swindle; cheat
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Word Origin

C19: perhaps from Spanish banca bank (in gambling), from Italian banca bank 1

bunko

noun, verb
  1. a variant spelling of bunco
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012