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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

scam en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • [ˈskam] (British, Southern, Standard, Wales)
  • /ˈskæːm/ (Australia)
  • [ˈskæːm] without æ-raising
  • /ˈskæm/ US, Canada, æ-raising
  • [ˈskeə̯m] ~ [ˈskɛə̯m] US, Canada, æ-raising
  • /ˈskæm/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • [ˈskæm] (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈskam/ (British, Northern-England, Scotland, Southern, Standard, Wales)
  • [ˈskɛːm] ~ [ˈskeːm] æ-raising
  • [ˈskäm] (Scotland)
  • [ˈskam] ~ [ˈskäm] (Northern-England)
  • /ˈskɛm/ (New-Zealand)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • [ˈskɛm] (New-Zealand)

Etymology

US American carnival slang of uncertain origin. Possibly from scamp (“swindler, cheater”) or Irish cam (“crooked”). Also possibly from Danish skam; if so, it would be a doublet of shame and sham. First use appears c. 1963 in the periodical Time. The word became common use among the US drug culture when in early 1980, after Operation ABSCAM, an FBI sting operation directed at public officials, became public.

Meanings

  1. A fraudulent or dishonest deal. A swindle.
    • a scam catches most people with any sense of compassion
    • That marketing scheme looks like a scam to me.
  2. Something that is promoted using scams.
    • That new diet burger is a scam.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
scams Number=Plur lexicographic

Coordinates

take for a ride

Deriveds

Ukroscam · scammish · Nigerian scam · exit scam · antiscam · romance scam · cyberscam · safe account scam · 419 scam · ponzi scam · scamcoin · scamware · scambaiting · scammer · Uncle Scam · Nigerian prince scam · scamster · scamdemic · advance fee scam · scambaiter · Macau scam · scam artistry · Ponzi scam · love scam · what's the scam · scambait · scammy · scambot · scam artist

Synonyms

rinky-dink · sleight of hand · subterfuge · fetch · legerdemain · deceit · trickery · Punic faith · swack · dupery · prestidigitation · jugglery · hype · hocus-pocus · deception · ruse · imposition · mislead · fiddle · list

Translations (89)

eo friponaĵo (fraudulent deal) · da bedrageri (fraudulent deal) · it truffa (fraudulent deal) · ca enredada (fraudulent deal) · de Beschiss (fraudulent deal) · tr dolandırma (fraudulent deal) · nl deceptie (fraudulent deal) · nl bedrog (fraudulent deal) · it intrallazzo (fraudulent deal) · io eskroko (fraudulent deal) · pt embrulhada (fraudulent deal) · fr tour de passe-passe (fraudulent deal) · ca estafa (fraudulent deal) · it imbroglio (fraudulent deal) · gl calote (fraudulent deal) · pt golpe (fraudulent deal) · ca tripijoc (fraudulent deal) · nb bedrageri (fraudulent deal) · ru жу́льничество (fraudulent deal) · km គ្រោងការក្បត់ (fraudulent deal) · mk дала́вера (fraudulent deal) · fr escroquerie (fraudulent deal) · pa ਸਕੈਮ (fraudulent deal) · sv lurendrejeri (fraudulent deal) · de Betrug (fraudulent deal) · pt logro (fraudulent deal) · de Gaunerei (fraudulent deal) · ja 詐欺 (fraudulent deal) · he הונאה (fraudulent deal) · pl oszustwo (fraudulent deal) · ar اِحْتِيَال (fraudulent deal) · fi huijaus (fraudulent deal) · ru надува́тельство (fraudulent deal) · nl oplichting (fraudulent deal) · pt calote (fraudulent deal) · pt fraude (fraudulent deal) · sv bedrägeri (fraudulent deal) · bn ছলনা (fraudulent deal) · it trucco (fraudulent deal) · it tresca (fraudulent deal) · fr trucage (fraudulent deal) · bg изма́ма (fraudulent deal) · it inciucio (fraudulent deal) · el απάτη (fraudulent deal) · it scam (fraudulent deal) · eo trompo (fraudulent deal) · it bidone (fraudulent deal) · de Schwindel (fraudulent deal) · km ការបោកប្រាស់ (fraudulent deal) · fr tripotage (fraudulent deal) · pl szwindel (fraudulent deal) · es pufo (fraudulent deal) · pl przekręt (fraudulent deal) · ru моше́нничество (fraudulent deal) · pt falcatrua (fraudulent deal) · nn svindel (fraudulent deal) · es timo (fraudulent deal) · kea kanbalaxu (fraudulent deal) · it macchinazione (fraudulent deal) · mk ду́бара (fraudulent deal) · tr dolandırıcılık (fraudulent deal) · bg нечестна сделка (fraudulent deal) · es estafa (fraudulent deal) · de Trickbetrug (fraudulent deal) · he תרמית (fraudulent deal) · fr entourloupe (fraudulent deal) · ru афе́ра (fraudulent deal) · it bidonata (fraudulent deal) · it fregatura (fraudulent deal) · cmn 騙局 /骗局 (fraudulent deal) · nl misleiding (fraudulent deal) · ru обма́н (fraudulent deal) · fi vilunki (fraudulent deal) · fr arnaque (fraudulent deal) · es petardo (fraudulent deal) · it frode (fraudulent deal) · it raggiro (fraudulent deal) · it pastetta (fraudulent deal) · es chanchullo (fraudulent deal) · de Trickdiebstahl (fraudulent deal) · fi vedätys (fraudulent deal) · he תרגיל עוקץ (fraudulent deal) · cs podvod (fraudulent deal) · cmn 詭計 /诡计 (fraudulent deal) · pdt Schwindel (fraudulent deal) · id scam (fraudulent deal) · el κομπίνα (fraudulent deal) · mk и́змама (fraudulent deal) · vi trò lừa đảo (fraudulent deal)

wikipedia: Abscam · wikipedia: Time (magazine)

scam en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • [ˈskam] (British, Southern, Standard, Wales)
  • /ˈskæːm/ (Australia)
  • [ˈskæːm] without æ-raising
  • /ˈskæm/ US, Canada, æ-raising
  • [ˈskeə̯m] ~ [ˈskɛə̯m] US, Canada, æ-raising
  • /ˈskæm/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • [ˈskæm] (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈskam/ (British, Northern-England, Scotland, Southern, Standard, Wales)
  • [ˈskɛːm] ~ [ˈskeːm] æ-raising
  • [ˈskäm] (Scotland)
  • [ˈskam] ~ [ˈskäm] (Northern-England)
  • /ˈskɛm/ (New-Zealand)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • [ˈskɛm] (New-Zealand)

Etymology

US American carnival slang of uncertain origin. Possibly from scamp (“swindler, cheater”) or Irish cam (“crooked”). Also possibly from Danish skam; if so, it would be a doublet of shame and sham. First use appears c. 1963 in the periodical Time. The word became common use among the US drug culture when in early 1980, after Operation ABSCAM, an FBI sting operation directed at public officials, became public.

Meanings

  1. (ambitransitive) To defraud or embezzle.
    • They tried to scam her out of her savings.
  2. (slang) To seek out a partner for casual sex; to hit on.
    • His friend nudged me. "It's true. JJ only scams black ladies." / "You don't say?" / "J-boy scammed a real live Miss Black Universe once. Met her in a disco down in Honduras. Wearing her title. Since then he's been obsessed." 2005, Robert Antoni, Carnival, New York, N.Y.: Black Cat, →ISBN, page 54:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
scamming Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
scams Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
scammed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
scammed Tense=Past lexicographic

Deriveds

scammee · outscam · scammable

Synonyms

con

Translations (38)

de betrügen (to defraud or embezzle) · ar اِحْتَالَ (to defraud or embezzle) · fi vedättää (to defraud or embezzle) · ru кида́ть (to defraud or embezzle) · vi lừa đảo (to defraud or embezzle) · es tirar perro muerto (to defraud or embezzle) · km ឆីឆ (to defraud or embezzle) · ca estafar (to defraud or embezzle) · tr dolandırmak (to defraud or embezzle) · az atmaq (to defraud or embezzle) · pt lograr (to defraud or embezzle) · he הונה (to defraud or embezzle) · sv scama (to defraud or embezzle) · it truffare (to defraud or embezzle) · mk и́змами (to defraud or embezzle) · it raggirare (to defraud or embezzle) · es estafar (to defraud or embezzle) · he רימה (to defraud or embezzle) · it fregare (to defraud or embezzle) · pt aplicar um golpe (to defraud or embezzle) · km បោកប្រាស់ (to defraud or embezzle) · fi huijata (to defraud or embezzle) · nl oplichten (to defraud or embezzle) · mk ма́ми (to defraud or embezzle) · km ស៊ីឆ (to defraud or embezzle) · es sisar (to defraud or embezzle) · sv lura (to defraud or embezzle) · cmn 騙局 /骗局 (to defraud or embezzle) · ru обма́нывать (to defraud or embezzle) · it imbrogliare (to defraud or embezzle) · eo prifriponi (to defraud or embezzle) · bg мамя (to defraud or embezzle) · cmn 詐騙 /诈骗 (to defraud or embezzle) · fr entourlouper (to defraud or embezzle) · cmn 欺詐 /欺诈 (to defraud or embezzle) · es sonsaquear (to defraud or embezzle) · es timar (to defraud or embezzle) · fr arnaquer (to defraud or embezzle)

wikipedia: Abscam · wikipedia: Time (magazine)