Part 1828

<blockquote>My proffered love has <b>cheapened</b> me. <i>Dryden.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Cheapener</h1> <Xpage=244>

<hw>Cheap"en*er</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>One who cheapens.</def>

<h1>Cheap-jack, Cheap-john</h1> <Xpage=244>

<hw><hw>Cheap"-jack`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <hw>Cheap"-john`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>,<hw> <tt>n.</tt> <def>A seller of low-priced or second goods; a hawker.</def>

<h1>Cheaply</h1> <Xpage=244>

<hw>Cheap"ly</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>adv.</tt> <def>At a small price; at a low value; in a common or inferior manner.</def>

<h1>Cheapness</h1> <Xpage=244>

<hw>Cheap"ness</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>Lowness in price, considering the usual price, or real value.</def>

<h1>Chear</h1> <Xpage=244>

<hw>Chear</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n. & v.</tt> <mark>[Obs.]</mark> <def>See <er>Cheer</er>.</def>

<h1>Cheat</h1> <Xpage=244>

<hw>Cheat</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[rob. an abbrevation of <ets>escheat</ets>, lands or tenements that fall to a lord or to the state by forfeiture, or by the death of the tenant without heirs; the meaning being explained by the frauds, real or supposed, that were resorted to in procuring escheats. See <er>Escheat</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>An act of deception or fraud; that which is the means of fraud or deception; a fraud; a trick; imposition; imposture.</def>

<blockquote>When I consider life, 'tis all a <b>cheat</b>. <i>Dryden.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>One who cheats or deceives; an impostor; a deceiver; a cheater.</def>

<blockquote>Airy wonders, which <b>cheats</b> interpret. <i>Johnson</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <def>A troublesome grass, growing as a weed in grain fields; -- called also <altname>chess</altname>. See <er>Chess</er>.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <fld>(Law)</fld> <def>The obtaining of property from another by an intentional active distortion of the truth.</def>

<note>&hand; When <i>cheats</i> are effected by deceitful or illegal symbols or tokens which may affect the public at large and against which common prudence could not have guarded, they are indictable at common law.

<i>Wharton.</i> </note>

<syn>Syn. -- Deception; imposture; fraud; delusion; artifice; trick; swindle; deceit; guile; finesse; stratagem.</syn>

<h1>Cheat</h1> <Xpage=244>

<hw>Cheat</hw>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Cheated</er>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Cheating</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[See <er>CHeat</er>, <tt>n.</tt>, <er>Escheat</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To deceive and defraud; to impose upon; to trick; to swindle.</def>

<blockquote>I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath <b>cheated</b> me of this island. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To beguile.</def>

<i>Sir W. Scott.</i>

<blockquote>To <b>cheat</b> winter of its dreariness. <i>W. Irving.</i></blockquote>

<syn>Syn. -- To trick; cozen; gull; chouse; fool; outwit; circumvent; beguile; mislead; dupe; swindle; defraud; overreach; delude; hoodwink; deceive; bamboozle.</syn>