grift
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
American criminal underworld slang, 1906 (noun), 1915 (verb), alteration of graft (“corruption, illicit profit through corrupt means, bribe, ones occupation”), alteration perhaps influenced by similar sounding words, e.g. drift, etc., probably ultimately from Middle Dutch graft (“digging, ditch, canal, trench”) (modern Dutch gracht), related to Dutch graven (“to dig”), English grave (“to dig”).[1][2][3]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
grift (plural grifts)
- (US, slang) A confidence game or swindle. [from 1906]
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:deception
- Hey, what's the grift? What are you trying to pull?
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
con game — see con game
Verb[edit]
grift (third-person singular simple present grifts, present participle grifting, simple past and past participle grifted)
- (transitive, US, slang) To obtain illegally, as by con game. [from early 20th c.]
- (intransitive, US, slang) To obtain money illegally. [from early 20th c.]
- (intransitive, US, slang) To obtain money immorally or through deceitful means.
Translations[edit]
to obtain (money) illegally, as by con game
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References[edit]
Categories:
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