hoist by one's own petard
[ (pi-tahrd) ]
To be caught in one's own trap: “The swindler cheated himself out of most of his money, and his victims were satisfied to see him hoist by his own petard.” A “petard” was an explosive device used in medieval warfare. To be hoisted, or lifted, by a petard literally means to be blown up.
Words Nearby hoist by one's own petard
- hoi polloi
- hoise
- hoisin
- hoisin sauce
- hoist
- hoist by one's own petard
- hoity-toity
- Hojo
- hoka
- Hokan
- hoke
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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