Verb from Middle English achetan, variant of escheten, from Old French escheat, past participle of escheoir, escheoiter, from Late Latin *excadēre (“fall away, fall out”), from (Latin) ex- + cadere (“fall”). Displaced native Old English beswīcan.
Noun from verb and/or Middle English chete, aphetic form of achete, escheat, eschete (“the reversion of property to the state”), from Anglo-Norman eschete and Old French eschet, escheit, escheoit (“that which falls to one”), past participle of escheoir (“to fall”) (modern French échoir), from Late Latin *excadēre (“fall away, fall out”), from (Latin) ex- + cadere (“fall”).
Doublet of escheat.
Meanings
(countable) An act of deception or fraud; that which is the means of fraud or deception.
When I consider life, 'tis all a cheat. 1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, →OCLC, (please specify the page number):
(countable) Someone who cheats.
And he smote Corinius on his shaven jowl with the dice box, calling him cheat and mangy rascal, whereupon Corinius drew forth a bodkin to smite him in the neck withal; but some went betwixt them, and with much ado and much struggling and cursing they were parted, and it being shown that the dice were not loaded, the son of Corund was fain to make amends to Corinius, and so were they set at one again. 1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 33:
The caseworker couldn't understand how I could have stretched out my last bit of money for so long. She seemed convinced that I was "hiding" income from her and interrogated me for I don't know how long […] The system seems based on the assumption that people are "welfare cheats. If you don't speak English or are marginal in some other way, it's worse. I wish they'd put the Defense Department through what we go through. 1990 February 4, Margy Dowzer, Mary Frances Platt, Aviva Shmuckler, “Disability And Accessibility Cost Money!”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 29, page 13:
(uncountable) The weed cheatgrass.
(uncountable) Synonym of bullshit (“a card game where the goal is to have no cards remaining in a hand, often by telling lies”).
(countable) A hidden means of gaining an unfair advantage in a video game, often by entering a cheat code.
Unpause the game, then repause the game and enter any of the following cheats: […] 1998, GamePro Issue 109 August 1998, page 141:
I've had a number of requests for a cheat for Turrican the first. Yes, there is a keypress built in […] 1992 January, Phil Howard, “Cheat Mode”, in Amstrad Action, number 76, page 32:
Forms
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Labels
Source
cheats
Number=Plur
lexicographic
Deriveds
cheater (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · windcheater (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheating (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat grass (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheaty (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat curl (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cybercheat (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · outcheat (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat out of (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat the pocket (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat fate (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat the hangman (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · uncheatable (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · micro-cheat (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat out (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheatable (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · play cheat (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheatline (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat on (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheatery (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat sheet (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheating death (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat code (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat day (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheatlike (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · anticheat (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · nubbing cheat (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat meal (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheatless (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat death (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheat-bread (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · becheat (derived from Etymology 1 or 2) · cheatee (derived from Etymology 1 or 2)
is svindl (unfair advantage in a computer game) · ca truc (unfair advantage in a computer game) · sv bluffstopp (card game) · hu csalás (unfair advantage in a computer game) · es truco (unfair advantage in a computer game) · cmn 作弊碼 /作弊码 (unfair advantage in a computer game) · de Cheat (unfair advantage in a computer game) · ja チート (unfair advantage in a computer game) · es mentiroso (card game) · fr menteur (card game) · pl cheat (unfair advantage in a computer game) · tr hile (unfair advantage in a computer game) · pt macete (unfair advantage in a computer game) · nl liegen (card game) · fi huijaus (unfair advantage in a computer game) · hu svindli (card game) · cmn 秘籍 (unfair advantage in a computer game) · nl cheat (unfair advantage in a computer game) · pt trapaça (unfair advantage in a computer game) · mk шифра (unfair advantage in a computer game) · ru чит (unfair advantage in a computer game) · sv fusk (unfair advantage in a computer game) · he צ׳יט (unfair advantage in a computer game) · pl czit (unfair advantage in a computer game) · ko 치트키 (unfair advantage in a computer game) · ru ве́рю-не-ве́рю (card game) · fi fusku (card game) · pt batota (unfair advantage in a computer game) · bg измама (unfair advantage in a computer game) · fr cheat (unfair advantage in a computer game) · pl kod (unfair advantage in a computer game)
Verb from Middle English achetan, variant of escheten, from Old French escheat, past participle of escheoir, escheoiter, from Late Latin *excadēre (“fall away, fall out”), from (Latin) ex- + cadere (“fall”). Displaced native Old English beswīcan.
Noun from verb and/or Middle English chete, aphetic form of achete, escheat, eschete (“the reversion of property to the state”), from Anglo-Norman eschete and Old French eschet, escheit, escheoit (“that which falls to one”), past participle of escheoir (“to fall”) (modern French échoir), from Late Latin *excadēre (“fall away, fall out”), from (Latin) ex- + cadere (“fall”).
Doublet of escheat.
Meanings
(intransitive) To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation.
My brother flunked biology because he cheated on his mid-term.
(intransitive) To be unfaithful to one's spouse or partner; to commit adultery, or to engage in sexual or romantic conduct with a person other than one's partner in contravention of the rules of society or agreement in the relationship.
While the nonavoidant passive-aggressive cheats for the sexual gratification and tries to disguise his or her cheating afterwards, in contrast, the passive-aggressive avoidant cheats less for the sex than to send a message[…] 2003, Martin Kantor, Distancing: Avoidant Personality Disorder, page 137:
My husband cheated on me with his secretary.
After he found out his wife cheated, he left her.
(transitive) To avoid a seemingly inevitable thing.
He cheated death when his car collided with a moving train.
I feel as if I've cheated fate.
(transitive) To deceive; to fool; to trick.
I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer, that by his cunning hath cheated me of this island. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
[T]he holly providentially planted about the house, to cheat winter of its dreariness, and throw in a gleam of green summer to cheer the fireside:—all these bespeak the influence of taste, flowing down from high sources, and pervading the lowest levels of the public mind. 1819 July 31, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Rural Life in England”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., number II, New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, page 130:
My ex-wife cheated me out of $40,000.
The gig ended with Rotten uttering the now famous line, “Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?” On January 17, the Sex Pistols split up. 2018, Peter Smith, quoting Johnny Rotten, Sex Pistols: The Pride of Punk, Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, page xxvi:
He cheated his way into office.
(informal, intransitive) To disregard self-imposed restrictions or commitments in favour of resting or indulging oneself.
de die Ehe brechen (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · sv bedra (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · ga feall ar (violate rules to gain advantage) · sv fiffla (violate rules to gain advantage) · eo trompi (violate rules to gain advantage) · ca fer el salt (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · got 𐌰𐍆𐌷𐍉𐌻𐍉𐌽 (violate rules to gain advantage) · vo cütön (violate rules to gain advantage) · as ভাঁৰ (violate rules to gain advantage) · sv fuska (violate rules to gain advantage) · nl valsspelen (violate rules to gain advantage) · es incumplir (manage to avoid something) · mk и́леџи (violate rules to gain advantage) · pt fraudar (manage to avoid something) · io eskrokar (to deceive) · ru обма́нывать (manage to avoid something) · ru измени́ть (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · is svindla (violate rules to gain advantage) · yue 出貓 /出猫 (violate rules to gain advantage) · ru надува́ть (violate rules to gain advantage) · uk дури́ти (violate rules to gain advantage) · acw خان (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · cy twyllo (violate rules to gain advantage) · no lure (manage to avoid something) · hu becsap (to deceive) · ru обману́ть (violate rules to gain advantage) · tr hile yapmak (violate rules to gain advantage) · vi gian lận (violate rules to gain advantage) · he בגד (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · fi huijata (violate rules to gain advantage) · it barare (violate rules to gain advantage) · cs podvádět (to deceive) · de schwindeln (violate rules to gain advantage) · mi whakateke (to deceive) · it imbrogliare (violate rules to gain advantage) · pt roubar (violate rules to gain advantage) · vo citön (violate rules to gain advantage) · ru обду́ривать (violate rules to gain advantage) · la fraudō (violate rules to gain advantage) · fi huijata (to deceive) · eo adulti (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · hu megcsal (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · es jaranear (violate rules to gain advantage) · hi छलना (violate rules to gain advantage) · no snyte (manage to avoid something) · lb fuddelen (violate rules to gain advantage) · ko 바람피우다 (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · pdc aabasse (to deceive) · mi purei tāhae (violate rules to gain advantage) · lv maldināt (violate rules to gain advantage) · cmn 作弊 (violate rules to gain advantage) · grc φενακίζω (to deceive) · sv vänstra (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · hu megmenekül (manage to avoid something) · cmn 行騙 /行骗 (to deceive) · ta ஏமாற்று (to deceive) · he רימה (violate rules to gain advantage) · es embaír (to deceive) · ms curang (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · ar غَشَّ (violate rules to gain advantage) · hu kicselez (manage to avoid something) · da svindle (violate rules to gain advantage) · hu kifog (manage to avoid something) · cmn 使诈 (violate rules to gain advantage) · es jaranear (manage to avoid something) · de austricksen (manage to avoid something) · fi välttää (manage to avoid something) · hu átver (to deceive) · mi moe tāhae (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · cs podvádět (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · ca fer banyes (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · bg изигравам (violate rules to gain advantage) · bg заблуждавам (to deceive) · wa fé on schård e sacramint (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · ro trișa (violate rules to gain advantage) · fi pettää (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · eo perfidi (to deceive) · es echar cuernos/cuernos (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · az cığallıq etmək (violate rules to gain advantage) · no jukse (violate rules to gain advantage) · es machetear (violate rules to gain advantage) · ru обма́нывать (violate rules to gain advantage) · cmn 使詐 /使诈 (violate rules to gain advantage) · as ঠগ (violate rules to gain advantage) · sv vänsterprassla (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · bg измамвам (violate rules to gain advantage) · sv svindla (violate rules to gain advantage) · sv undgå (manage to avoid something) · pl zdradzać (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · tr aldatmak (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · da bedrage (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · es machetearse (violate rules to gain advantage) · ru гуля́ть (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · ca enganyar (to deceive) · ru наду́ть (violate rules to gain advantage) · cmn 出軌 /出轨 (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · es engañar (to deceive) · no være utro (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · cmn 逃避 (manage to avoid something) · fr tromper (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · uk махлюва́ти (violate rules to gain advantage) · sv bedra (violate rules to gain advantage) · ru мухлева́ть (violate rules to gain advantage) · sv lura (violate rules to gain advantage) · ga imir ar (violate rules to gain advantage) · ru смухлева́ть (violate rules to gain advantage) · th นอกใจ (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · fo svíkja (violate rules to gain advantage) · es trampear (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · bg изневеря́вам (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · da undgå (manage to avoid something) · ja まやかす (violate rules to gain advantage) · uk шахраюва́ти (violate rules to gain advantage) · de betrügen (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · ru обману́ть (manage to avoid something) · hu puskázik (violate rules to gain advantage) · ja 偽る (violate rules to gain advantage) · nl scheve schaats rijden (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · mk мами (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · hu kicsal (to deceive) · sa गर्धयते (violate rules to gain advantage) · hu csal (violate rules to gain advantage) · lv krāpt (violate rules to gain advantage) · wa tructer (violate rules to gain advantage) · de fremdgehen (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · sv bedraga (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · nl overspel plegen (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · ca enganyar (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · nl bedriegen (violate rules to gain advantage) · fr tricher (violate rules to gain advantage) · fr tromper (to deceive) · vi bắt cá hai tay (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · hi छलना (to deceive) · ga cúigleáil (violate rules to gain advantage) · uk обма́нювати (violate rules to gain advantage) · grc φηλόω (to deceive) · sv vara otrogen (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · pl oszukiwać (violate rules to gain advantage) · fi huijata (manage to avoid something) · ko 바람을 피우다 (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · cs být nevěrný (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · mk изневерува (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · es entrampar (to deceive) · hu csalássalszerez (meg) (to deceive) · de überlisten (violate rules to gain advantage) · bg изме́ням (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · hu kiforgat (to deceive) · acw غش (violate rules to gain advantage) · nl vreemdgaan (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · mi mākoi (to deceive) · ru смоше́нничать (violate rules to gain advantage) · chr ᎦᎶᏄᎮᎭ (violate rules to gain advantage) · es meter guampas (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · es ser infiel (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · ja 不倫をする (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · sk podvádzať (violate rules to gain advantage) · th โกง (violate rules to gain advantage) · lt apgaudinėti (violate rules to gain advantage) · ary غشّ (violate rules to gain advantage) · ga déan séitéireacht (ar) (violate rules to gain advantage) · eo kokri (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · bg мамя (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · ja 騙す (violate rules to gain advantage) · pt trapacear (violate rules to gain advantage) · es enfullar (violate rules to gain advantage) · eo trompi (to deceive) · ga déan cneámhaireacht ar (violate rules to gain advantage) · fi luntata (violate rules to gain advantage) · de schummeln (violate rules to gain advantage) · lv šmaukt (violate rules to gain advantage) · ca mentir (violate rules to gain advantage) · ru изменя́ть (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · no bedra (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · tr aldatmak (violate rules to gain advantage) · cs podvést (to deceive) · cmn 不忠 (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · hu rászed (to deceive) · it fregare (violate rules to gain advantage) · pt chifrar (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · az xəyanət etmək (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · af kroek (violate rules to gain advantage) · sv lura (manage to avoid something) · wa fé on schård dins l' contrat (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · de betrügen (to deceive) · ps سینه (violate rules to gain advantage) · sq rren (violate rules to gain advantage) · ckv suanem (to deceive) · fo snýta (violate rules to gain advantage) · tr dolandırmak (violate rules to gain advantage) · ca trampejar (violate rules to gain advantage) · es trampear (to deceive) · tr kopya çekmek (violate rules to gain advantage) · ru обдури́ть (violate rules to gain advantage) · ka ღალატი (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · hu átejt (to deceive) · vi bịp (violate rules to gain advantage) · no fuske (violate rules to gain advantage) · wa tromper (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · it tradire (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · es encornudar (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · sh varati (violate rules to gain advantage) · vi xập xí xập ngầu (violate rules to gain advantage) · cy cafflo (violate rules to gain advantage) · fo svika (violate rules to gain advantage) · ga déan caimiléireacht ar (violate rules to gain advantage) · mk ма́ми (violate rules to gain advantage) · ne छक्याउनु (to deceive) · da være utro (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · sv vänsla (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · ca fer trampes (violate rules to gain advantage) · da bedrage (violate rules to gain advantage) · ru моше́нничать (violate rules to gain advantage) · la fraudō (to deceive) · pt enganar (manage to avoid something) · ja 浮気する (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · es trafear (violate rules to gain advantage) · pt batotar (violate rules to gain advantage) · bg изма́мвам (manage to avoid something) · cs podvádět (violate rules to gain advantage) · id selingkuh (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · yue 一腳踏兩船 /一脚踏两船 (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · is halda framhjá (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · lv mānīt (violate rules to gain advantage) · pt trair (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · no unngå (manage to avoid something) · cmn 腳踏兩條船 /脚踏两条船 (being unfaithful to sexual partner) · da snyde (violate rules to gain advantage)
Inherited from Middle English chet (“low-quality bread”), of unknown origin; compare manchet.
Meanings
(obsolete, uncountable) A sort of low-quality bread.
Takes part with them, at ſhore: their pureſt cheat, / Thrice boulted, kneaded, and ſubdu'd in paſt[…] c. 1624, Homer, translated by George Chapman, The crowne of all Homers workes Batrachomyomachia […] , Iohn Bill, page 3:
The raueled cheat therfore is generallie ſo made that out of one buſhell of meale, after two and twentie pounds of bran be ſifted and taken from it (wherevnto they ad the gurgeons that riſe from the manchet) they make thirtie cast, euerie lofe weighing eightéene ounces into the ouen and ſixteene ounces out[…] 1587, Raphaell Holinshed, Iohn Hooker, “Of the food and diet of the Engliſh”, in The firſt and ſecond volumes of Chronicles […] , volume I, London: Henry Denham, page 169:
Where by the way note, that loaves made of pure Wheaten Meal require both more Leaven and more labouring, and more baking than either coarſe Cheat or than Bread Mingled of Meal and Grudgins. 1746, Thomas Moffett, Christopher Bennet, Health's Improvement […] , London: T. Oſborne, page 339: