embezzle

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English

Etymology

From Middle English embesilen, from Anglo-Norman embesiler, embesillier, embeseillier (“to steal, cause to disappear”), from em- + Old French besillier (“to torment, destroy, gouge”), of unknown origin.[1]

Pronunciation

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /əmˈbɛzəl/
    • Audio (GA):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛzəl

Verb

embezzle (third-person singular simple present embezzl, present participle ing, simple past and past participle embezzled)

  1. (law, business) To steal or misappropriate money that one has been trusted with, especially to steal money from the organisation for which one works.
    • 1903, H.G. Wells, Twelve Stories and a Dream
      You waste your education in burglary. You should do one of two things. Either you should forge or you should embezzle. For my own part, I embezzle.
    • 1861, George Eliot, Silas Marner
      You let Dunsey have it, sir? And how long have you been so thick with Dunsey that you must collogue with him to embezzle my money?

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “embezzle”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
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