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v. cheat·ed, cheat·ing, cheats v.tr. 1. To deceive by trickery; swindle: cheated customers by overcharging them for purchases. 2. To deprive by trickery; defraud: cheated them of their land. 3. To mislead; fool: illusions that cheat the eye. 4. To elude; escape: cheat death. v.intr. 1. To act dishonestly; practice fraud. 2. To violate rules deliberately, as in a game: was accused of cheating at cards. 3. Informal To be sexually unfaithful: cheat on a spouse. 4. Sports To position oneself closer to a certain area than is normal or expected: The shortstop cheated toward second base. n. 1. An act of cheating; a fraud or swindle. 2. One who cheats; a swindler. 3. A technique that exploits a flaw or hidden feature in a video game or computer program. 4. Law Fraudulent acquisition of another's property. 5. Botany Any of several species of brome, especially Bromus secalinus, an annual European grass widespread as a weed. [Middle English cheten, to confiscate, short for acheten, variant of escheten, from eschete, escheat; see ESCHEAT.] cheater n. |
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