tr.v. bilked, bilk·ing, bilks 1. a. To defraud, cheat, or swindle: made millions bilking wealthy clients on art sales. b. To evade payment of: bilk one's debts. 2. To thwart or frustrate: "Fate ... may be to a certain extent bilked" (Thomas Carlyle). 3. To elude. n. 1. One who cheats. 2. Obsolete A hoax or swindle. [Perhaps alteration of BALK.] bilker n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.