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swindle

 - 2 dictionary results

swin⋅dle

  [swin-dl] verb, -dled, -dling, noun
Use swindle in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to cheat (a person, business, etc.) out of money or other assets.
2. to obtain by fraud or deceit.
–verb (used without object)
3. to put forward plausible schemes or use unscrupulous trickery to defraud others; cheat.
–noun
4. an act of swindling or a fraudulent transaction or scheme.
5. anything deceptive; a fraud: This advertisement is a real swindle.
Origin:
1775–85; back formation from swindler < G Schwindler irresponsible person, promoter of wildcat schemes, cheat, deriv. of schwindeln to be dizzy (hence dizzy-minded, irresponsible), defraud, equiv. to schwind- (akin to OE swindan to languish) + -(e)l- -le + -er -er 1

Related forms:
swin⋅dle⋅a⋅ble, adjective
swindler, noun
swin⋅dling⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. cozen, dupe, trick, gull.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To swindle
swin·dle   (swĭn'dl)   
v.   swin·dled, swin·dling, swin·dles

v.   tr.

  1. To cheat or defraud of money or property.

  2. To obtain by fraudulent means: swindled money from the company.

v.   intr.
To practice fraud as a means of obtaining money or property.
n.  The act or an instance of swindling.

[Back-formation from swindler, one who swindles, from German Schwindler, giddy person, cheat, from schwindeln, to be dizzy, swindle, from Middle High German, from Old High German swintilōn, frequentative of swintan, to disappear.]
swin'dler n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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