cantrip

[ kahn-trip ]

/ ˈkɑn trɪp /

Chiefly Scot. a magic spell; trick by sorcery.

Chiefly British. artful shamming meant to deceive.

Origin of cantrip

1710–20; apparently dissimilated variant of Old English calcatrippe; see caltrop

He could not, however, make Lord Cantrip understand the whole truth.

Phineas Finn |Anthony Trollope
That exceedingly intelligent young nobleman Lord Cantrip was in earnest.

Phineas Finn |Anthony Trollope
When the new vicar went to Cantrip he found Church matters in a very primitive state.

Lighter Moments from the Notebook of Bishop Walsham How |Frederick Douglas How
When they had got thus far Lord Cantrip was standing close to the window of the room at Mr. Gresham's elbow.

Phineas Redux |Anthony Trollope

I remember how Cantrip almost cried when he told me you were going to leave him.

Phineas Redux |Anthony Trollope

cantrip

/ (ˈkæntrɪp) Scot /

a magic spell

(often plural) a mischievous trick

(of an effect) produced by black magic

C18: Scottish, of unknown origin