trick
trick [trick tricks tricked tricking] noun, verb, adjective BrE [trɪk] NAmE [trɪk]
noun
STH TO CHEAT SB
1. something that you do to make sb believe sth which is not true, or to annoy sb as a joke
• They had to think of a trick to get past the guards.
• The kids are always playing tricks on their teacher.
see also ↑confidence trick, ↑dirty trick
STH CONFUSING
2. something that confuses you so that you see, understand, remember, etc. things in the wrong way
• One of the problems of old age is that your memory can start to play tricks on you.
• Was there somebody standing there or was it a trick of the light?
ENTERTAINMENT
3. a clever action that sb/sth performs as a way of entertaining people
• He amused the kids with conjuring tricks.
•a card trick
see also ↑hat-trick
GOOD METHOD
4. usually singular a way of doing sth that works well; a good method
•The trick is to pick the animal up by the back of its neck.
•He used the old trick of attacking in order to defend himself.
IN CARD GAMES
5. the cards that you play or win in a single part of a card game
•I won six tricks in a row.
more at he, etc. doesn't miss a trick at ↑miss v., (you can't) teach an old dog new tricks at ↑teach
Word Origin:
late Middle English (as a noun): from an Old French dialect variant of triche, from trichier ‘deceive’, of unknown origin. Current senses of the verb date from the mid 16th cent.
Example Bank:
•A trick of the light made it look like she was pregnant.
•Another neat trick is to add lemon peel to the water.
•He's learned a trick or two in his time working in the tax office.
•I could teach him a trick or two.
•I have a few tricks up my sleeve.
•She won't fall for such a stupid trick.
•The party chairman accused the opposition of dirty tricks in their election campaign.
•The real trick is predicting the market two years down the line.
•The trick is to keep your body still and your arms relaxed.
•There's no trick to it— you just need lots of practice.
•These rhetorical tricks are common in political speeches.
•Very few camera tricks are employed.
•We decided to play a little trick on the teacher.
•a trick for getting out red wine stains
•the kinds of accounting tricks that get CEOs into trouble
•It was a trick question.
•What a dirty trick to play!
•You had me fooled there! Where did you learn that trick?
Idioms: ↑bag of tricks ▪ ↑do the trick ▪ ↑every trick in the book ▪ have a trick/some more tricks up your sleeve ▪ ↑trick or treat ▪ ↑tricks of the trade ▪ ↑turn a trick ▪ ↑up to your tricks
Derived: ↑trick somebody into into doing something ▪ ↑trick somebody out ▪ ↑trick somebody out of something
verb
to make sb believe sth which is not true, especially in order to cheat them
•~ sb I'd been tricked and I felt stupid.
•~ your way + adv./prep. He managed to trick his way past the security guards.
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
late Middle English (as a noun): from an Old French dialect variant of triche, from trichier ‘deceive’, of unknown origin. Current senses of the verb date from the mid 16th cent.
Synonyms:
cheat
fool • deceive • betray • take in • trick • con
These words all mean to make sb believe sth that is not true, especially in order to get what you want.
cheat • to make sb believe sth that is not true, in order to get money or sth else from them: ▪ She is accused of attempting to cheat the taxman. ◇ ▪ He cheated his way into the job.
Cheat also means to act in a dishonest way in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game, competition or exam: ▪ You're not allowed to look at the answers— ▪ that's cheating ▪.
fool • to make sb believe sth that is not true, especially in order to laugh at them or to get what you want: ▪ Just don't be fooled into investing any money with them.
deceive • to make sb believe sth that is not true, especially sb who trusts you, in order to get what you want: ▪ She deceived him into handing over all his savings.
betray • to hurt sb who trusts you, especially by deceiving them or not being loyal to them: ▪ She felt betrayed when she found out the truth about him.
take sb in • [often passive] to deceive sb, usually in order to get what you want: ▪ I was taken in by her story.
trick • to deceive sb, especially in a clever way, in order to get what you want.
con • (informal) to deceive sb, especially in order to get money from them or get them to do sth for you: ▪ They had been conned out of £100 000.
which word?
Many of these words involve making sb believe sth that is not true, but some of them are more disapproving than others. Deceive is probably the worst because people typically deceive friends, relations and others who know and trust them. People may feel cheated/betrayed by sb in authority who they trusted to look after their interests. If sb takes you in, they may do it by acting a part and using words and charm effectively. If sb cheats/fools/tricks/cons you, they may get sth from you and make you feel stupid. However, sb might fool you just as a joke; and to trick sb is sometimes seen as a clever thing to do, if the person being tricked is seen as a bad person who deserves it.
to cheat/fool/trick/con sb out of sth
to cheat/fool/deceive/betray/trick/con sb into doing sth
to feel cheated/fooled/deceived/betrayed/tricked/conned
to fool/deceive yourself
to cheat/trick/con your way into sth
Example Bank:
•He tried to trick me into telling him.
•a con man who tricked him out of his life savings
•I realized that I'd been tricked and then I felt so stupid.
adjective only before noun
1. intended to trick sb
•It was a trick question (= one to which the answer seems easy but actually is not).
•It's all done using trick photography (= photography that uses clever techniques to show things that do not actually exist or are impossible).
2. (NAmE) (of part of the body)weak and not working well
•a trick knee
Word Origin:
late Middle English (as a noun): from an Old French dialect variant of triche, from trichier ‘deceive’, of unknown origin. Current senses of the verb date from the mid 16th cent.
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