Word: trick Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English trikke, from Old Northern French trique (related to Old French trichier (“to defraud, act dishonestly, conceal, deceive, cheat”); > modern French tricher), itself possibly from Middle High German trechen (“to launch a shot at, play a trick on”), or one of its derivatives (e.g. Middle High German ūftrechen (“to do something to someone, hurt someone”), vertrechen (“to conceal, get over on someone”), zuotrechen (“to obtain falsely or deceitfully, wangle, finagle”), etc.); yet the Old French verb is equally likely to be derived from Vulgar Latin *triccāre, from Late Latin tricāre, from Latin trīcor, trīcārī (“dodge, search for detours; haggle, quibble”). The term has been connected to Middle Dutch treck, trec (“draw, line, desire, game move, cord, stratagem, ruse, trick”), from Middle Dutch trekken, trēken (“to pull, place, put, move”), from Old Dutch *trekken, *trekan (“to move, drag”), from Proto-Germanic *trakjaną, *trekaną (“to drag, scrape, pull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dreg- (“to drag, scrape”). If they are related, trick would be cognate with Low German trekken, Middle High German trecken, trechen, Danish trække, and Old Frisian trekka, Romanian truc and other Romance languages. Compare track, treachery, trig, and trigger. Pronunciation: /ˈtɹɪk/, [ˈt̠ɹ̠̊˔ʷɪk], [ˈtɹ̝̊ʷɪk] 1. Something designed to fool, dupe, outsmart, mislead or swindle. Example: It was just a trick to say that the house was underpriced. Example: He played a trick on his sister as April Fool's Day. 2. A single element of a magician's (or any variety entertainer's) act; a magic trick. Example: And for my next trick, I will pull a wombat out of a duffel bag. 3. An entertaining difficult physical action. Example: That's a nice skateboard, but can you do any tricks on it? Example: Yo-yo tricks involving sleeping the yo-yo (like "walking the dog" and "rocking the baby") cannot be performed in space. 4. An effective, clever or quick way of doing something. Example: tricks of the trade; what's the trick of getting this chair to fold up? Example: Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field. 5. Mischievous or annoying behavior; a prank. Example: the tricks of boys Example: They played a crude trick on the teacher. 6. A particular habit or manner; a peculiarity; a trait. Labels: dated Example: a trick of drumming with the fingers; a trick of frowning Example: He hath a trick of Cœur de Lion's face. 7. A knot, braid, or plait of hair. Example: I cannot tell , but it stirs me more than all your court curls , or your spangles , or your tricks 8. A sequence in which each player plays a card and a winning play is determined. Example: I was able to take the second trick with the queen of hearts. Example: And now (as oft in some distemper'd state) / On one nice trick depends the gen'ral fate! 9. A sex act, chiefly one performed for payment; an act of prostitution. Labels: Canada, US, slang Example: turn a trick Example: turn tricks 10. A customer or client of a prostitute. Labels: slang Example: As the businessman rounded the corner, she thought, "Here comes another trick." Example: Across 110th street / Woman trying to catch a trick on the street, ooh baby / Across 110th Street / You can find it all in the street 11. A term of abuse. Labels: slang, vulgar 12. A daily period of work, especially in shift-based jobs. Labels: Pennsylvania, Western Example: On third trick from 12 m. to 8 am, we have W. A. White, formerly operator at Wallula, who thus far has given general satisfaction. Example: Woodside Junction—On 8 hour basis, first trick $60, second trick $60, third trick $50. 13. A sailor's spell of work at the helm, usually two hours long. Example: I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life, To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife; And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover, And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over. 14. A toy; a trifle; a plaything. Labels: obsolete Example: The vviles and guiles that vvomen vvorke, / Diſſembled vvith an outvvard ſhevv: / The tricks and toyes that in them lurke, / The Cock that treads thẽ [them] ſhall not knovv, […] 15. A representation of arms that is drawn as an outline with labels to indicate colors. Example: Heraldic Collections of various Heralds and others, containing Arms blazoned and in trick, grants of arms, pedigrees, etc. Example: The trick […] might be meant for a lion passant or for one rampant embelif […]