befool

English

Etymology

From Middle English bifolen, equivalent to be- +‎ fool.

Verb

befool (third-person singular simple present befools, present participle befooling, simple past and past participle befooled)

1. (transitive, archaic) To make a fool out of (someone); to fool, trick, or deceive (someone).
   • 1853, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Newcomes, ch. 40:

     Flattery is their nature—to coax, flatter and sweetly befool some one is every woman's business.

   • 1901, Andrew Lang, "The Fairy of the Dawn" in The Violet Fairy Book:

     But above all beware never to look the Fairy of the Dawn in the face, for she has eyes that will bewitch you, and glances that will befool you.

   • 2009 July 13, "BJP workers stage protest after leader dies in hospital," TImes of India (retrieved 29 May 2013):

     They alleged Dr Sidhu had no specialization in reducing weight and was only befooling innocent people.

Usage notes

• Although archaic in Western countries, this verb is still current in the English of South Asia.

Translations

to fool, trick or deceive someone

• Bulgarian: измамвам (bg) (izmamvam), заблуждавам (bg) (zabluždavam)
• Icelandic: hafa að fífli, blekkja, pretta, gabba

• Swahili: pumbaza (sw)