trick
(trĭk)n.1. a. An act or procedure intended to achieve an end by deceptive or fraudulent means. See Synonyms at
wile.
b. A mischievous action; a prank: likes to play tricks on the other students in the dorm.
c. A stupid, disgraceful, or childish act: Don't let the kids pull any tricks while we're gone.
2. a. A peculiar trait or characteristic; a mannerism: "Mimicry is the trick by which a moth or other defenseless insect comes to look like a wasp" (Marston Bates).
b. A peculiar event with unexpected, often deceptive results: "One of history's cruelest tricks is to take words that sounded good at the time and make them sound pretty stupid" (David Owen).
c. A deceptive or illusive appearance; an illusion: This painting plays tricks on the eyes.
3. a. A special skill; a knack: Is there a trick to getting this window to stay up?
b. A convention or specialized skill peculiar to a particular field of activity: learned the tricks of the winemaking trade.
4. a. A feat of magic or legerdemain.
b. A difficult, dexterous, or clever act designed to amuse: Does your dog do any tricks?
5. Games a. All the cards played in a single round, one from each player.
b. One such round.
6. a. A period or turn of duty, as at the helm of a ship.
b. Slang A prison term.
7. Slang a. An act of prostitution.
b. A prostitute's customer.
c. A session carried out by a prostitute with a client.
8. Slang A robbery or theft.
tr. & intr.v. tricked,
trick·ing,
tricks To cheat or deceive or to practice trickery or deception.
adj.1. Of, relating to, or involving tricks.
2. Capable of performing tricks: a trick dog.
3. Designed or made for doing a trick or tricks: trick cards; trick dice.
4. Weak, defective, or liable to fail: a trick knee.
Phrasal Verb: trick out (or up) Informal To ornament or adorn, often garishly: was all tricked out in beads and fringe.
Idioms: do/turn the trick To bring about the desired result.
how's tricks Informal Used to make a friendly inquiry about a person or that person's affairs.
not miss a trick To be extremely alert: The teacher was known for not missing a trick.
[Middle English trik, from Old North French trique, from trikier, to deceive, probably from Vulgar Latin *triccāre, from Latin trīcārī, to play tricks, from trīcae, tricks.]
trick′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
trick
(trɪk) n1. a deceitful, cunning, or underhand action or plan
2. a. a mischievous, malicious, or humorous action or plan; joke: the boys are up to their tricks again.
b. (as modifier): a trick spider.
3. an illusory or magical feat or device
4. a simple feat learned by an animal or person
5. an adroit or ingenious device; knack: a trick of the trade.
6. a behavioural trait, habit, or mannerism
7. a turn or round of duty or work
8. (Card Games)
cards a. 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
b. a card that can potentially win a trick
9. can't take a trick slang Austral to be consistently unsuccessful or unlucky
10. do the trick informal to produce the right or desired result
11. how's tricks? slang how are you?
12. turn a trick slang (of a prostitute) to gain a customer
vbto defraud, deceive, or cheat (someone), esp by means of a trick
[C15: from Old Northern French trique, from trikier to deceive, from Old French trichier, ultimately from Latin trīcārī to play tricks]
ˈtricker n
ˈtrickless adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
trick
(trɪk)
n. 1. a crafty or underhanded device, maneuver, or stratagem intended to deceive or cheat; artifice; ruse.
2. a roguish or mischievous act; practical joke; prank.
3. a clever or ingenious device or expedient; adroit technique: the tricks of the trade.
4. the art or knack of doing something skillfully: the trick of making others laugh.
5. a clever or dexterous feat intended to entertain, amuse, etc.: This bird can do some amazing tricks.
6. a feat of magic or legerdemain: card tricks.
7. an optical illusion: a trick played by the flickering lights.
8. a mean, foolish, or childish action.
9. a behavioral peculiarity; habit; mannerism.
10. a period or tour of duty; stint.
11. a. the group or set of cards played and won in one round.
b. a point or scoring unit based on this.
c. a card that is a potential winner.
12. a child or young girl: a pretty little trick.
13. Slang. a. a prostitute's customer.
b. a sexual act between a prostitute and a customer.
adj. 14. of, pertaining to, characterized by, or involving tricks: trick shooting.
15. specially made or used for tricks: a trick chair.
16. (of a joint) inclined to stiffen or weaken suddenly and unexpectedly: a trick shoulder.
v.t. 17. to deceive by trickery.
18. to cheat or swindle (usu. fol. by out of): to trick someone out of an inheritance.
19. to beguile by trickery (usu. fol. by into).
v.i. 20. to practice trickery or deception; cheat.
21. to play tricks; trifle (usu. fol. by with).
22. trick out, to adorn with fancy ornaments.
Idioms: do or turn the trick, to produce the desired effect.
[1375–1425; late Middle English trik (n.) < Old North French trique deceit, derivative of trikier to deceive < Vulgar Latin *triccāre, for Latin trīcārī to play tricks]
trick′er, n.
syn: trick,
artifice,
ruse,
stratagem are terms for crafty or cunning devices intended to deceive.
trick, the general term, refers usu. 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 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, and
stratagem sometimes implies a more elaborate procedure or a military application:
We gained entrance by a ruse. His stratagem gave the army command of the hill. See also
cheat. Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.