defalcate

de·fal·cate  (d-flkt, -fôl-, dfl-)

intr.v. de·fal·cat·ed, de·fal·cat·ing, de·fal·cates

To misuse funds; embezzle.

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[Medieval Latin dfalcre, dfalct-, to mow, deduct : Latin d-, de- + Latin falx, falc-, sickle.]

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defal·cation (dfl-kshn, -fôl-, dfl-) n.

de·falcator n.

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defalcate

Verb

[-cating, -cated] Law to make wrong use of funds entrusted to one [Medieval Latin defalcare to cut off]

defalcation n

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

defalcate - appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use; "The accountant embezzled thousands of dollars while working for the wealthy family" embezzle, malversate, misappropriate, peculate fiddle - commit fraud and steal from one's employer; "We found out that she had been fiddling for years" steal - take without the owner's consent; "Someone stole my wallet on the train"; "This author stole entire paragraphs from my dissertation"