trick

plural tricks

1. Something designed to fool, dupe, outsmart, mislead or swindle.

   He played a trick on his sister as April Fool's Day.

   1 more example

   It was just a trick to say that the house was underpriced.

   Synonyms: artifice

2. A single element of a magician's (or any variety entertainer's) act; a magic trick.

   And for my next trick, I will pull a wombat out of a duffel bag.

   Synonyms: illusion, magic trick, sleight of hand

3. An entertaining difficult physical action.

   That's a nice skateboard, but can you do any tricks on it?

   1 more example

   Yo-yo tricks involving sleeping the yo-yo (like "walking the dog" and "rocking the baby") cannot be performed in space.

   1995, All Aboard for Space: Introducing Space to Youngsters, page 158

4. An effective, clever or quick way of doing something.

   tricks of the trade; what's the trick of getting this chair to fold up?

   1 more 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.

   2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845

5. Mischievous or annoying behavior; a prank.

   the tricks of boys

   1 more example

   They played a crude trick on the teacher.

6. datedA particular habit or manner; a peculiarity; a trait.

   a trick of drumming with the fingers; a trick of frowning

   2 more examples

   He hath a trick of Cœur de Lion's face.

   c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]

   The trick of that voice I do well remember.

   c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vi]

7. A knot, braid, or plait of hair.

   I cannot tell , but it stirs me more than all your court curls , or your spangles , or your tricks

   1601, Ben Jonson, Poetaster or The Arraignment: […], London: […] [R. Bradock] for M[atthew] L[ownes] […], published 1602, →OCLC, (please specify the page), (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)

8. card gamesA sequence in which each player plays a card and a winning play is determined.

   I was able to take the second trick with the queen of hearts.

   1 more example

   And now (as oft in some distemper'd state) / On one nice trick depends the gen'ral fate!

   1712, Alexander Pope, “Canto III”, in The Rape of the Lock, lines 93–94; republished in The Complete Poetical Works of Alexander Pope, Boston, New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1902, page 94

9. CanadaUSslangA sex act, chiefly one performed for payment; an act of prostitution.

   turn tricks

   5 more examples

   turn a trick

   I see your teeth flash, Jamaican honey so sweet Down where Lexington cross 47th Street. Oh, she's a big girl, she's standing six-foot three, Turning tricks for the dudes in the big city.

   1975, “Island Girl”, in Bernie Taupin (lyrics), Rock of the Westies, performed by Elton John

   You lied to me, Leon. It was a rough trick.

   1980, Paul Schrader, American Gigolo, spoken by Julian Kaye (Richard Gere)

   Perhaps the most important thing a prostitute learns is how to "manage" the client; how to con him into spending more money than he planned. Learning how to perform tricks takes only a few minutes. Learning how to "hustle" the client takes longer.

   1988, John H. Lindquist, Misdemeanor Crime: Trivial Criminal Pursuit, page 43

   "How did you get into all this?" "I started doing tricks when I was young and I don't mean the magic circle. I learned about sex from an early age. There was nothing else to do in Pitsea except heavy petting and getting F grades at school."

   2010, Richard Gill, Paloma Azul, page 139

10. slangA customer or client of a prostitute.

    As the businessman rounded the corner, she thought, "Here comes another trick."

    2 more examples

    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

    1972, Bobby Womack, “Across 110th Street”, in Across 110th Street

    Ten minutes after she got down she broke luck. A white trick in a thirty-seven Buick picked her up. I timed her. She had racehorse speed.

    2011, Iceberg Slim, Pimp: The Story of My Life, page 99

    Synonyms: john, all-nighter, curb crawler, fare, gonk, jane, Jane, jockey

11. slangvulgarA term of abuse.
12. PennsylvaniaWesternA daily period of work, especially in shift-based jobs.

    Woodside Junction—On 8 hour basis, first trick $60, second trick $60, third trick $50.

    1899, New York (State), Bureau of Statistics, Deptartment of Labor, Annual Report

    2 more examples

    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.

    1885, Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, The Conductor and Brakeman, page 496

    The Union contends that Fifer was entitled to promotion to the position of Group Leader on the third trick in the Core Room Department.

    1949, Labor arbitration reports, page 738

    Synonyms: shift

13. nauticalA sailor's spell of work at the helm, usually two hours long.

    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.

    1902, John Masefield, Sea Fever

14. obsoleteA toy; a trifle; a plaything.

    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, […]

    1599, [anonymous], “When as Thine Eye hath Chose the Dame”, in The Passionate Pilgrime. […], 2nd edition, London: […] [Thomas Judson] for W[illiam] Iaggard, and are to be sold by W[illiam] Leake, […], →OCLC

15. governmentA representation of arms that is drawn as an outline with labels to indicate colors.

    The trick […] might be meant for a lion passant or for one rampant embelif […]

    2009, Thomas Daniel Tremlett, Hugh Stanford London, Rolls of Arms, Henry III., page 132

    1 more example

    Heraldic Collections of various Heralds and others, containing Arms blazoned and in trick, grants of arms, pedigrees, etc.

    1892, George Gatfield, Guide to Printed Books and Manuscripts Relating to English and Foreign Heraldry, page 12

present singular third person tricks · participle present tricking · participle past tricked · past tricked

1. transitiveTo fool; to cause to believe something untrue; to deceive.

   You tried to trick me when you said that house was underpriced.

   1 more example

   I was once tricked into believing I had left my phone in the locker.

   Synonyms: con, dupe, fool, gull, have, hoodwink, pull the wool over someone's eyes, rip off

2. governmentTo draw (as contrasted with to blazon, which is to describe in words).

   They forget that they are in the statutes: […] there they are trick'd, they and their pedigrees.

   1601, Ben Jonson, Poetaster or The Arraignment: […], London: […] [R. Bradock] for M[atthew] L[ownes] […], published 1602, →OCLC, Act I

   1 more example

   The rugged Pyrrhus, he whose sable arms, / Black as his purpose, did the night resemble / When he lay couched in the ominous horse, / Hath now this dread and black complexion smear'd / With heraldry more dismal; head to foot / Now is he total gules; horridly trick'd / With blood of fathers, mothers, daughters, sons […]

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]

3. To dress; to decorate; to adorn fantastically; often followed by up, off, or out.

   Trick her off in air.

   1735, Alexander Pope, Of the Characters of Women

   3 more examples

   [T]his Pillar [the "Compounded Order"] is nothing in effect, but a Medlie, or an Amaſſe of all the precedent Ornaments, making a nevv kinde, by ſtealth, and though the moſt richly tricked, yet the pooreſt in this, that he is a borrovver of all his Beautie.

   1624, Henry Wotton, “The Seate, and the Worke”, in The Elements of Architecture, […], London: […] Iohn Bill, →OCLC, I. part, page 38

   Tricking up their children in fine clothes.

   1693, [John Locke], “(please specify the section number)”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC

   They are simple, but majestic, records of the feelings of the poet; as little tricked out for the public eye as his diary would have been.

   1825, Thomas Macaulay, An Essay on John Milton

   Synonyms: mod

4. To engage in prostitution or casual sex.

   1977-1980, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure […] and suddenly it was Maryellin, he & I in the bed. The guy was tall, lean & hard. Absolutely lovely body. For me, it was like my old tricking days.

   2 more examples

   You trick for other people, you cheat me out of money, and then when you need a favour, you come back to me.

   1980, Paul Schrader, American Gigolo, spoken by Anne (Nina van Pallandt)

   Asked whether one possible way for lesbians to increase sexual satisfaction within a relationship would be to "trick" outside it, Pearlman said that this could be a "terrific turn-on" if done right, but that she generally wouldn't recommend it because of the high risk of jealousy and breakups.

   1985 April 20, Betsy Duren, “Women's Studies Conference: Sex and Culture”, in Gay Community News, page 7

comparative tricker · superlative trickest

1. Involving trickery or deception.

   trick photography

2. Able to perform tricks.

   A trick pony

3. Defective or unreliable.

   a trick knee

4. USslangStylish or cool.

   Wow, your new sportscar is so trick.