trick

[ trik ]

/ trɪk /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR trick ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a crafty or underhanded device, maneuver, stratagem, or the like, intended to deceive or cheat; artifice; ruse; wile.

an optical illusion: It must have been some visual trick caused by the flickering candlelight.

a roguish or mischievous act; practical joke; prank: She likes to play tricks on her friends.

a mean, foolish, or childish action.

a clever or ingenious device or expedient; adroit technique: the tricks of the trade.

the art or knack of doing something skillfully: You seem to have mastered the trick of making others laugh.

a clever or dexterous feat intended to entertain, amuse, etc.: He taught his dog some amazing tricks.

a feat of magic or legerdemain: card tricks.

a behavioral peculiarity; trait; habit; mannerism.

a period of duty or turn; stint; tour of duty: I relieved the pilot after he had completed his trick at the wheel.

Cards.

the group or set of cards played and won in one round.
a point or scoring unit.
a card that is a potential winner.Compare honor trick.

Informal. a child or young girl: a pretty little trick.

Slang.

a prostitute's customer.
a sexual act between a prostitute and a customer.

Heraldry.

a preliminary sketch of a coat of arms.
engraver's trick.

adjective

of, pertaining to, characterized by, or involving tricks: trick shooting.

designed or used for tricks: a trick chair.

(of a joint) inclined to stiffen or weaken suddenly and unexpectedly: a trick shoulder.

verb (used with object)

to deceive by trickery.

Heraldry. to indicate the tinctures of (a coat of arms) with engravers tricks.

to cheat or swindle (usually followed by out of): to trick someone out of an inheritance.

to beguile by trickery (usually followed by into).

verb (used without object)

to practice trickery or deception; cheat.

to play tricks; trifle (usually followed by with).

Slang. to engage in sexual acts for hire.

Verb Phrases

trick out, Informal. to embellish or adorn with or as if with ornaments or other attention-getting devices.

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Idioms for trick

do / turn the trick, to achieve the desired effect or result: Another turn of the pliers should do the trick.

turn a trick, Slang. (of a prostitute) to engage in a sexual act with a customer.

Origin of trick

1375–1425; late Middle English trik (noun) <Old North French trique deceit, derivative of trikier to deceive <Vulgar Latin *triccāre, for Latin trīcārī to play tricks

SYNONYMS FOR trick

1 deception.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR trick ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for trick

1. Trick , artifice , ruse , stratagem , wile are terms for crafty or cunning devices that are intended to deceive. Trick , the general term, refers usually to an underhanded act designed to cheat someone, but it sometimes refers merely to a pleasurable deceiving of the senses: to win by a trick. Like trick , but to a greater degree, artifice emphasizes the cleverness, ingenuity, or cunning with which the proceeding is devised: an artifice of diabolical ingenuity. Ruse and stratagem emphasize the purpose for which the trick is designed; ruse is the more general term of the two, and stratagem sometimes implies a more elaborate procedure or a military application: He gained entrance by a ruse. His stratagem gave them command of the hill. W ile emphasizes the disarming effect of the trick upon those who are deceived: His wiles charmed them into trusting him. 18. See cheat.

OTHER WORDS FROM trick

tricker, nountrick·ing·ly, adverbouttrick, verb (used with object)un·tricked, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for trick

Michelangelo tricked his patron about the David, but sometimes he was forcibly reminded who paid the bills.
Great Renaissance Art Thrived Amid Filth|Nick Romeo|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He tricked Beth into killing an innocent man for him in order to keep his own position at the hospital secure.
The Walking Dead’s ‘Crossed’: The Stage Is Now Set for a Bloody, Deadly Midseason Finale|Melissa Leon|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sam Lutfi may have tricked Amanda Bynes into hospitalization.
Sam Lutfi Is Young Hollywood’s Most Infamous Svengali|Amy Zimmerman|October 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They apologized for making the video, and said they had been tricked into doing it.
Iran Court Sentences ‘Happy’ Dancers to 6 months and 91 Lashes|IranWire|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Many of the boys had been drugged or tricked into coming to the center, and to watch them adjust was very difficult.
China Doesn't Want You to See the Internet Addiction Film 'Web Junkie'|Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia|August 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was on fire with fury at the way he had been tricked, and thirsting to get loose and be revenged.
A Master of Fortune|Cutcliffe Hyne
They felt that they had been tricked, caught by a phrase they did not understand.
Four American Indians|Edson L. Whitney
But in another sense he had tricked Laban and was going away with ill-gotten gains.
Living for the Best|James G. K. McClure
She shuddered afresh as she thought how she had tricked them on that other occasion.
Hour of Enchantment|Roy J. Snell
It did not take them long to see that they had been tricked by some one.
Tales from the X-bar Horse Camp|Will C. Barnes

British Dictionary definitions for trick

trick

/ (trɪk) /

noun

a deceitful, cunning, or underhand action or plan

a mischievous, malicious, or humorous action or plan; jokethe boys are up to their tricks again
(as modifier)a trick spider

an illusory or magical feat or device

a simple feat learned by an animal or person

an adroit or ingenious device; knacka trick of the trade

a behavioural trait, habit, or mannerism

a turn or round of duty or work

cards

a batch of cards containing one from each player, usually played in turn and won by the player or side that plays the card with the highest value
a card that can potentially win a trick

can't take a trick Australian slang to be consistently unsuccessful or unlucky

do the trick informal to produce the right or desired result

how's tricks? slang how are you?

turn a trick slang (of a prostitute) to gain a customer

verb

to defraud, deceive, or cheat (someone), esp by means of a trick

Derived forms of trick

tricker, nountrickless, adjective

Word Origin for trick

C15: from Old Northern French trique, from trikier to deceive, from Old French trichier, ultimately from Latin trīcārī to play tricks

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

Idioms and Phrases with trick

trick

In addition to the idioms beginning with trick

trick or treat
trick out
tricks of the trade

also see:

bag of tricks
confidence game (trick)
dirty tricks
do the trick
hat trick
how's tricks
not miss a trick
teach an old dog new tricks
that does it (the trick)
turn a trick
up to one's old tricks

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trick