cheat
noun
- person who cheats
- method for cheating
verb
- being unfaithful romantically (or metaphorically)
- engage in deceitful practices, not follow the rules for personal gain
- steal, remove illegally, stealing from a source
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃiːt/ / [ˈt͡ʃʰɪi̯t]
noun
Etymology: Inherited from Middle English chet (“low-quality bread”), of unknown origin; compare manchet.
- A sort of low-quality bread.
“The raueled cheat therfore is generallie ſo made that out of one buſhell of meale, after two and twentie pounds of bran be ſifted and taken from it (wherevnto they ad the gurgeons that riſe from the manchet) they make thirtie cast, euerie lofe weighing eightéene ounces into the ouen and ſixteene ounces out[…]”
“Takes part with them, at ſhore: their pureſt cheat, / Thrice boulted, kneaded, and ſubdu'd in paſt[…]”
verb
Etymology: Verb from Middle English achetan, variant of escheten, from Old French escheat, past participle of escheoir, escheoiter, from Late Latin *excadēre (“fall away, fall out”), from (Latin) ex- + cadere (“fall”). Displaced native Old English beswīcan. Noun from verb and/or Middle English chete, aphetic form of achete, escheat, eschete (“the reversion of property to the state”), from Anglo-Norman eschete and Old French eschet, escheit, escheoit (“that which falls to one”), past participle of escheoir (“to fall”) (modern French échoir), from Late Latin *excadēre (“fall away, fall out”), from (Latin) ex- + cadere (“fall”). Doublet of escheat.
- To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation.
“My brother flunked biology because he cheated on his mid-term.”
- To be unfaithful to one's spouse or partner; to commit adultery, or to engage in sexual or romantic conduct with a person other than one's partner in contravention of the rules of society or agreement in the relationship.
“My husband cheated on me with his secretary.”
“After he found out his wife cheated, he left her.”
- To avoid a seemingly inevitable thing.
“He cheated death when his car collided with a moving train.”
“I feel as if I've cheated fate.”
- To deceive; to fool; to trick.
“My ex-wife cheated me out of $40,000.”
“He cheated his way into office.”
- To disregard self-imposed restrictions or commitments in favour of resting or indulging oneself.