2. To beguile; to amuse, so as to divert the attention; to while away; to take away as if by deception. These occupations oftentimes deceived The listless hour. Wordsworth.
3. To deprive by fraud or stealth; to defraud. [Obs.] Plant fruit trees in large borders, and set therein fine flowers, but thin and sparingly, lest they deceive the trees. Bacon.
Syn. — Deceive, Delude, Mislead. Deceive is a general word applicable to any kind of misrepresentation affecting faith or life. To delude, primarily, is to make sport of, by deceiving, and is accomplished by playing upon one's imagination or credulity, as by exciting false hopes, causing him to undertake or expect what is impracticable, and making his failure ridiculous. It implies some infirmity of judgment in the victim, and intention to deceive in the deluder. But it is often used reflexively, indicating that a person's own weakness has made him the sport of others or of fortune; as, he deluded himself with a belief that luck would always favor him. To mislead is to lead, guide, or direct in a wrong way, either willfully or ignorantly.
DECEIVER
De*ceiv"er, n.
Defn: One who deceives; one who leads into error; a cheat; an
impostor.
The deceived and the deceiver are his. Job xii. 16.
Syn. — Deceiver, Impostor. A deceiver operates by stealth and in private upon individuals; an impostor practices his arts on the community at large. The one succeeds by artful falsehoods, the other by bold assumption. The faithless friend and the fickle lover are deceivers; the false prophet and the pretended prince are impostors.
DECEMBER De*cem"ber, n. Etym: [F. décembre, from L. December, fr. decem ten; this being the tenth month among the early Romans, who began the year in March. See Ten.]
1. The twelfth and last month of the year, containing thirty-one days. During this month occurs the winter solstice.
2. Fig.: With reference to the end of the year and to the winter season; as, the December of his life.
DECEMBRIST
De*cem"brist, n. (Russian Hist.)