inveigle

WOTD – 30 March 2009    

English

Etymology

• Early corruption of French aveugler (“to blind, to delude”), from aveugle (“blind”), from the Old French avugle (“without eyes”), from Latin ab + oculus (“eye”). The in- might be from other a-/en- variations found in Middle English, which was then latinised into in-.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ɪnˈveɪ.ɡəl/, /ɪnˈviː.ɡəl/ X-SAMPA: /In"veI.g@l/, /In"vi:.g@l/

• Audio (US)

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  Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -eɪɡəl, -iːɡəl

Verb

inveigle (third-person singular simple present inveigles, present participle inveigling, simple past and past participle inveigled)

1. (transitive) to convert, convince or win over with flattery or wiles
   • 1835, William Gilmore Simms, The Partisan, Harper, Chapter XVIII, page 228:

     Say he's been misguided by the rebels, and how they've inveigled him, till he's turned rebel himself; and how he's now out with Marion's men, in Major Singleton's squad.

2. (transitive) to obtain through guile or cunning

Usage notes

• Sometimes confused with inveigh.

Translations

convert, convince or win over with flattery or wiles

• Czech: svést (cs)
• Italian: adescare (it), allettare (it)
• Russian: обольщать

• Scottish Gaelic: meall (gd)
• Spanish: engatusar (es)

obtain through guile or cunning

• Czech: vymámit (cs)
• Russian: заманивать (ru) (zamanivatʹ)

• Spanish: timar (es)