bamboozle

English

Etymology

18th century. Unknown.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bæm.ˈbuː.zəl/, X-SAMPA: /b{m."bu:.z@l/

Verb

bamboozle (third-person singular simple present bamboozles, present participle bamboozling, simple past and past participle bamboozled)

1. (informal) To con, defraud, trick, to make a fool of, to humbug or impose on someone.
   • 1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick, chapter 19

     “Look here, friend,” said I, “if you have anything important to tell us, out with it; but if you are only trying to bamboozle us, you are mistaken in your game; that’s all I have to say.”

Translations

to con, defraud, trick

• Bulgarian: баламосвам (bg) (balamosvam)
• Czech: napálit (cs), poplést (cs), obalamutit (cs), doběhnout (cs), ošidit (cs)
• Finnish: huijata (fi)

• French: embrouiller (fr), moquer (fr)
• German: beschwindeln (de), tricksen (de)
• Russian: обманывать (ru) (obmányvat’) n