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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

infidelitybetrayaltreasoncrookswindlerhustlerchicaneryscamtrickeryfrauddeceptionswindledeceitconspiracygraftcomplicitypretenddeludemisleadfleece

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