trick

[ trik ]

/ trɪk /

noun

a crafty or underhanded device, maneuver, stratagem, or the like, intended to deceive or cheat; artifice; ruse; wile.

an optical illusion: It must have been some visual trick caused by the flickering candlelight.

a roguish or mischievous act; practical joke; prank: She likes to play tricks on her friends.

a mean, foolish, or childish action.

a clever or ingenious device or expedient; adroit technique: the tricks of the trade.

the art or knack of doing something skillfully: You seem to have mastered the trick of making others laugh.

a clever or dexterous feat intended to entertain, amuse, etc.: He taught his dog some amazing tricks.

a feat of magic or legerdemain: card tricks.

a behavioral peculiarity; trait; habit; mannerism.

a period of duty or turn; stint; tour of duty: I relieved the pilot after he had completed his trick at the wheel.

Cards.

the group or set of cards played and won in one round.
a point or scoring unit.
a card that is a potential winner.Compare honor trick.

Informal. a child or young girl: a pretty little trick.

Slang.

a prostitute's customer.
a sexual act between a prostitute and a customer.

Heraldry.

a preliminary sketch of a coat of arms.
engraver's trick.

adjective

of, pertaining to, characterized by, or involving tricks: trick shooting.

designed or used for tricks: a trick chair.

(of a joint) inclined to stiffen or weaken suddenly and unexpectedly: a trick shoulder.

verb (used with object)

to deceive by trickery.

Heraldry. to indicate the tinctures of (a coat of arms) with engravers tricks.

to cheat or swindle (usually followed by out of): to trick someone out of an inheritance.

to beguile by trickery (usually followed by into).

verb (used without object)

to practice trickery or deception; cheat.

to play tricks; trifle (usually followed by with).

Slang. to engage in sexual acts for hire.

Verb Phrases

trick out, Informal. to embellish or adorn with or as if with ornaments or other attention-getting devices.

Idioms for trick

do/turn the trick, to achieve the desired effect or result: Another turn of the pliers should do the trick.

turn a trick, Slang. (of a prostitute) to engage in a sexual act with a customer.

Origin of trick

1375–1425; late Middle English trik (noun) < Old North French trique deceit, derivative of trikier to deceive < Vulgar Latin *triccāre, for Latin trīcārī to play tricks

SYNONYMS FOR trick

1 deception.

synonym study for trick

1. Trick , artifice , ruse , stratagem , wile are terms for crafty or cunning devices that are intended to deceive. Trick , the general term, refers usually to an underhanded act designed to cheat someone, but it sometimes refers merely to a pleasurable deceiving of the senses: to win by a trick. Like trick , but to a greater degree, artifice emphasizes the cleverness, ingenuity, or cunning with which the proceeding is devised: an artifice of diabolical ingenuity. Ruse and stratagem emphasize the purpose for which the trick is designed; ruse is the more general term of the two, and stratagem sometimes implies a more elaborate procedure or a military application: He gained entrance by a ruse. His stratagem gave them command of the hill. W ile emphasizes the disarming effect of the trick upon those who are deceived: His wiles charmed them into trusting him. 18. See cheat.

OTHER WORDS FROM trick

trick·er, noun trick·ing·ly, adverb out·trick, verb (used with object) un·tricked, adjective

Words nearby trick

trichromatopsia, trichrome stain, trichuriasis, trichuris, tricipital, trick, trick cyclist, trick ending, trick knee, trick or treat, trick out

British Dictionary definitions for turn a trick

trick

/ (trɪk) /

noun

a deceitful, cunning, or underhand action or plan

a mischievous, malicious, or humorous action or plan; jokethe boys are up to their tricks again
(as modifier)a trick spider

an illusory or magical feat or device

a simple feat learned by an animal or person

an adroit or ingenious device; knack a trick of the trade

a behavioural trait, habit, or mannerism

a turn or round of duty or work

cards

a batch of cards containing one from each player, usually played in turn and won by the player or side that plays the card with the highest value
a card that can potentially win a trick

can't take a trick Australian slang to be consistently unsuccessful or unlucky

do the trick informal to produce the right or desired result

how's tricks? slang how are you?

turn a trick slang (of a prostitute) to gain a customer

verb

to defraud, deceive, or cheat (someone), esp by means of a trick

Derived forms of trick

tricker, noun trickless, adjective

Word Origin for trick

C15: from Old Northern French trique, from trikier to deceive, from Old French trichier, ultimately from Latin trīcārī to play tricks

Idioms and Phrases with turn a trick (1 of 2)

turn a trick

Engage in sex for pay, as in A young prostitute may turn a dozen tricks in a few hours. This idiom uses trick in the sense of “a sexual act.” [Slang; mid-1900s]

Idioms and Phrases with turn a trick (2 of 2)

trick

In addition to the idioms beginning with trick

trick or treat
trick out
tricks of the trade

also see:

bag of tricks
confidence game (trick)
dirty tricks
do the trick
hat trick
how's tricks
not miss a trick
teach an old dog new tricks
that does it (the trick)
turn a trick
up to one's old tricks

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

trick

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Verb Phrases

Idioms for trick

Origin of trick

SYNONYMS FOR trick

synonym study for trick

OTHER WORDS FROM trick

Words nearby trick

British Dictionary definitions for turn a trick

noun

verb

Derived forms of trick

Word Origin for trick

Idioms and Phrases with turn a trick (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with turn a trick (2 of 2)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

trick

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Verb Phrases

Idioms for trick

Origin of trick

SYNONYMS FOR trick

synonym study for trick

OTHER WORDS FROM trick

Words nearby trick

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for turn a trick

noun

verb

Derived forms of trick

Word Origin for trick

Idioms and Phrases with turn a trick (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with turn a trick (2 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for turn a trick