Part 2804

<hw>De*ceit"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OF. <ets>deceit</ets>, <ets>des<?/ait</ets>, <ets>decept</ets> (cf. <ets>deceite</ets>, <ets>de<?/oite</ets>), fr. L. <ets>deceptus</ets> deception, fr. <ets>decipere</ets>. See <er>Deceive</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>An attempt or disposition to deceive or lead into error; any declaration, artifice, or practice, which misleads another, or causes him to believe what is false; a contrivance to entrap; deception; a wily device; fraud.</def>

<blockquote>Making the ephah small and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by <b>deceit</b>. <i>Amos viii. 5.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Friendly to man, far from <b>deceit</b> or guile. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Yet still we hug the dear <b>deceit</b>. <i>N. Cotton.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Law)</fld> <def>Any trick, collusion, contrivance, false representation, or underhand practice, used to defraud another. When injury is thereby effected, an <i>action of deceit</i>, as it called, lies for compensation.</def>

<syn>Syn. -- Deception; fraud; imposition; duplicity; trickery; guile; falsifying; double-dealing; stratagem. See <er>Deception</er>.</syn>

<h1>Deceitful</h1> <Xpage=375>

<hw>De*ceit"ful</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Full of, or characterized by, deceit; serving to mislead or insnare; trickish; fraudulent; cheating; insincere.</def>

<blockquote>Harboring foul <b>deceitful</b> thoughts. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Deceitfully</h1> <Xpage=375>

<hw>De*ceit"ful*ly</hw>, <tt>adv.</tt> <def>With intent to deceive.</def>

<h1>Deceitfulness</h1> <Xpage=375>

<hw>De*ceit"ful*ness</hw>, <tt>n.</tt>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>The disposition to deceive; <as>as, a man's <ex>deceitfulness</ex> may be habitual</as>.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The quality of being deceitful; <as>as, the <ex>deceitfulness</ex> of a man's practices</as>.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>Tendency to mislead or deceive.</def> "The <i>deceitfulness</i> of riches."

<i>Matt. xiii. 22.</i>

<h1>Deceitless</h1> <Xpage=375>

<hw>De*ceit"less</hw>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Free from deceit.</def>

<i>Bp. Hall.</i>

<h1>Deceivable</h1> <Xpage=375>

<hw>De*ceiv"a*ble</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>d\'82cevable</ets>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>Fitted to deceive; deceitful.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<blockquote>The fraud of <b>deceivable</b> traditions. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Subject to deceit; capable of being misled.</def>

<blockquote>Blind, and thereby <b>deceivable</b>. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Deceivableness</h1> <Xpage=375>