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Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.

Class IV. Words Relating to the Intellectual Faculties
Division (II) Communication of Ideas
Section II. Modes of Communication

545. Deception.

   NOUN:DECEPTION; falseness [See Falsehood]; untruth [See Untruth]; imposition, imposture; fraud, deceit, guile; fraudulence, fraudulency; covin [archaic]; knavery (cunning) [See Cunning]; misrepresentation (falsehood) [See Falsehood]; bluff; straw-bail, straw-bid [U. S.]; spoof [slang]; hocus-pocus, escamoterie [F.], jockeyship; trickery, coggery [obs.], pettifoggery, sharp practice, chicanery; supercherie [F.], cozenage, circumvention, ingannation [obs.], collusiveness, collusion; treachery [See Improbity]; practical joke.
  DELUSION, gullery [archaic]; juggling, jugglery; sleight of hand, legerdemain; prestigiation [obs.], prestidigitation; magic [See Sorcery]; conjuring, conjuration.
  TRICK, cheat, wile, blind, feint, plant [slang], bubble, fetch, catch [dial.], chicane, artifice, reach [obs.], bite [obs., colloq.], juggle, hocus [archaic]; thimble-rig, card sharping, artful dodge, swindle; tricks upon travelers; trapan or trepan [archaic]; stratagem (artifice) [See Cunning]; fake [colloq. or slang], hoax; theft [See Stealing]; ballot-box stuffing [U. S.], barney [slang], bunko or bunco, bunko game; confidence -trick, – game; brace -, drop -, gum -, panel -, shell -, skin- game [all slang]; gold brick [colloq., U. S.].
  SNARE, trap, pitfall, Cornish hug, decoy, gin; springe, springle [obs.]; noose, hook; bait, decoy duck, stool pigeon, tub to the whale, baited trap, guet-à-pens [F.]; cobweb, net, meshes, toils, mouse trap, birdlime; Dionæa, Venus’s flytrap; ambush [See Ambush]; trapdoor, sliding panel, false bottom; spring net, spring gun; mask, masked battery; mine; flytrap; green goods [U. S.]; panel house.
  DISGUISE, disguisement; false colors, masquerade, mummery, borrowed plumes; wolf in sheep’s clothing (deceiver) [See Deceiver]; pattes de velours [F.].
  SHAM; mockery (imitation) [See Imitation]; copy [See Copy]; counterfeit, make-believe, forgery, fraud; lie [See Untruth]; “a delusion, a mockery, and a snare” [Denman], hollow mockery; whited -, painted- sepulcher; jerry-building, jerryism [builders’ cant]; man of straw.
  TINSEL, paste, false jewelry, scagliola, ormolu, mosaic gold, brummagem, German silver, albata, paktong, white metal, Britannia metal, paint.
  ILLUSION (error) [See Error]; ignis fatuus [L.] [See Luminary]; mirage [See Dim-sightedness].
   VERB:DECEIVE, take in, Machiavellize; defraud, cheat, jockey, do [slang, Eng.], escamoter [F.], cozen, diddle [dial.], nab [slang], chouse [colloq.], bite [colloq.], play one false, bilk, cully, jilt [obs.], pluck [rare], swindle, victimize; abuse; mystify; blind, – one’s eyes; blindfold, hoodwink; throw dust into the eyes, “keep the word of promise to the ear and break it to the hope” [Macbeth].
  impose -, practice -, play -, put -, palm -, foist- upon; snatch a verdict; bluff, – off; bunko or bunco, four-flush [slang]; gum [slang, U. S.], spoof [slang], stuff (a ballot box) [U. S.].
  CIRCUMVENT, overreach; outreach, outwit, outmaneuver or outmanœuvre, steal a march upon, give the go-by to [slang], leave in the lurch.
  INSNARE, ensnare; set -, lay- a -trap, – snare- for; bait the hook, forelay [obs.], spread the toils, lime; decoy, waylay, lure, beguile, delude, inveigle; trapan or trepan [archaic]; kidnap; let in, hook in; trick; entrap or intrap, nick, springe [rare], nousel or nousle [obs.]; blind a trail, enmesh or immesh; shanghai, crimp; catch, – in a trap; sniggle, entangle, illaqueate [rare], balk, trip up; throw a tub to a whale, hocus.
  FOOL, befool, practice on one’s credulity, dupe, gull, hoax, bamboozle [colloq.]; hum [slang or colloq.], humbug, gammon [colloq.], stuff up [slang], stuff [slang], sell [slang]; play a -trick, – practical joke- upon one; fool to the top of one’s bent, send on a fool’s errand; make -game, – a fool, – an April fool, – an ass- of; trifle with, cajole, flatter; come over (influence) [See Motive]; gild the pill, make things pleasant, divert, put a good face upon; dissemble [See Falsehood].
  LIVE BY ONE’S WITS; cog [rare], cog the dice; play at hide and seek; obtain money under false pretenses (steal) [See Stealing]; conjure, juggle, practice chicanery; deacon [U. S.]; jerry-build; pass by trickery, play off, palm off, foist off, fob off [archaic].
  MISLEAD (error) [See Error]; lie [See Falsehood]; misinform [See Misteaching]; betray [See Improbity].
  BE DECEIVED [See Dupe].
   ADJECTIVE:DECEPTIVE, deceptious [rare], deceitful, covinous [law]; delusive, delusory; illusive, illusory; deceived &c. v.; deceiving &c. v.; cunning [See Cunning]; prestigious [obs.], prestigiatory [obs.]; elusive, insidious, ad captandum vulgus [L.].
  MAKE-BELIEVE; untrue [See Untruth]; mock, sham, counterfeit, snide [slang], pseudo, spurious, so-called, pretended, feigned, trumped-up, bogus [colloq.], scamped, fraudulent, tricky, factitious, artificial, bastard; surreptitious, illegitimate, contraband, adulterated, sophisticated; unsound, rotten at the core; colorable; disguised; meretricious; jerry-built, jerry [builders’ cant]; tinsel, pinchbeck, plated; catchpenny; brummagem; simulated [See Falsehood].
   ADVERB:under -false colors, – the garb of, – cover of; over the left [slang].
   QUOTATIONS:

Fronti nulla fides.

Ah that deceit should steal such gentle shapes.—Rich. III

A quicksand of deceit.—Henry VI

Decipimur specie recti.—Horace

Falsi crimen.

Fraus est celare fraudem.

Lupus in fabula.

So smooth, he daubed his vice with show of virtue.—Rich. III

There are but two classes of men, the righteous, who think themselves to be sinners, and the sinners, who think themselves righteous.—Pascal

Contents -AUTHOR INDEX -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD