Part 68

De*ceit"ful*ness, n. 1. The disposition to deceive; as, a man's deceitfulness may be habitual.

2. The quality of being deceitful; as, the deceitfulness of a man's practices.

3. Tendency to mislead or deceive. "The deceitfulness of riches." Matt. xiii. 22.

De*ceit"less, a. Free from deceit. Bp. Hall.

De*ceiv"a*ble (?), a. [F. décevable.] 1. Fitted to deceive; deceitful. [Obs.]

The fraud of deceivable traditions.

Milton.

2. Subject to deceit; capable of being misled.

Blind, and thereby deceivable.

Milton.

De*ceiv"a*ble*ness, n. 1. Capability of deceiving.

With all deceivableness of unrighteousness.

2 Thess. ii. 10.

2. Liability to be deceived or misled; as, the deceivableness of a child.

De*ceiv"a*bly, adv. In a deceivable manner.

De*ceive" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deceived (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Deceiving.] [OE. deceveir, F. décevoir, fr. L. decipere to catch, insnare, deceive; de- + capere to take, catch. See Capable, and cf. Deceit, Deception.] 1. To lead into error; to cause to believe what is false, or disbelieve what is true; to impose upon; to mislead; to cheat; to disappoint; to delude; to insnare.

Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

2 Tim. iii. 13.

Nimble jugglers that deceive the eye.

Shak.

What can 'scape the eye Of God all-seeing, or deceive his heart?

Milton.

2. To beguile; to amuse, so as to divert the attention; to while away; to take away as if by deception.

These occupations oftentimes deceived The listless hour.

Wordsworth.

3. To deprive by fraud or stealth; to defraud. [Obs.]

Plant fruit trees in large borders, and set therein fine flowers, but thin and sparingly, lest they deceive the trees.

Bacon.