escroc

English

Etymology

From French escroc (“crook, villain”).

Noun

escroc (plural escrocs)

1. (archaic) A villain or crook, especially in French contexts.

Anagrams

• Croces, scorce, soccer

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian scrocco, from Old High German *scurgo (attested in Old High German fiurscurgo (“fire-maker, stoker”); modern German Schurke, schüren), from Old High German scurgen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛs.kʁo/

  • Audio

    (file)

• IPA^(key): /ɛs.kʁɔ/ (older, now chiefly Belgium)
• Rhymes: -o, -ɔ

Noun

escroc m (plural escrocs)

1. crook (a criminal who steals)

   Synonyms: arnaqueur, esquiveur, filou, fourbe, fripon

   • 1991, Jean-Loup Craipeau, chapter 1, in Pin's panique, Éditions Casterman:

     Al Capin’s méritait son nom. Essayer de me vendre, à ce prix, un pin’s de chat ! Parole, en me prenant pour un pigeon, il tombait mal, cet escroc.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (in stories) baddy (evil character)
   • 1838-1847, Honoré de Balzac, Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes, section V:

     De tout temps, en effet, la fille, héroïne de tant de vieux romans, fut la protectrice, la compagne, la consolation du grec, du voleur, du tire-laine, du filou, de l’escroc.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Derived terms

• croque-escroc
• escroquer
• escroquerie
• escroqueur
• escroqueuse

Further reading

• “escroc”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• soccer

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French escroc.

Noun

escroc m (plural escroci)

1. crook, swindler

Related terms

• escroca