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swindler - 4 dictionary results

swin⋅dle

[swin-dl] verb, -dled, -dling, noun
–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


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


1. cozen, dupe, trick, gull.
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.

Swindler

Swin"dler\, n. [G. schwindler, fr. schwindlen to be dizzy, to act thoughtlessly, to cheat, fr. schwindel dizziness, fr. schwinden to vanish, to disappear, to dwindle. See Swim to be dizzy.] One who swindles, or defrauds grossly; one who makes a practice of defrauding others by imposition or deliberate artifice; a cheat.

Syn: Sharper; rogue.

Usage: Swindler, Sharper. These words agree in describing persons who take unfair advantages. A swindler is one who obtains money or goods under false pretenses. A sharper is one who cheats by sharp practice, as in playing at cards or staking what he can not pay.

Fraud and injustice soon follow, and the dignity of the British merchant is sunk in the scandalous appellation of a swindler. --V. Knox.

Perhaps you 'll think I act the same As a sly sharper plays his game. --Cotton.
Language Translation for : swindler
Spanish: estafador, timador,
German: der, *die Schwindler(in),
Japanese: ペテン師

swindler 
1774, from Ger. Schwindler "giddy person, extravagant speculator, cheat," from schwindeln "to be giddy, act extravagantly, swindle," from O.H.G. swintilon "be giddy," frequentative form of swintan "to languish, disappear;" cognate with O.E. swindan, and probably with swima "dizziness." Said to have been introduced in London by Ger. Jews c.1762. swindle is a back-formation attested from 1782 as a verb, 1833 as a noun.
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