Dictionary

shill en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ʃɪl/
• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio

Etymology

Unknown; attested as verb 1914, as noun 1916. Perhaps an abbreviation of shillaber, attested 1913. The word entered English via carny, originally denoting a carnival worker who pretends to be a member of the audience in an attempt to elicit interest in an attraction. Speculatively an extended form of German Schieber (“black marketeer, profiteer”) via *shi-la-ber. There are some suggestions that it originates in the surname Shilaber or Shillibeer, especially George Shillibeer, but proposed origins are dubious as the word is first attested in North America in the 20th century, while proposed models are 19th century British. American humorist Benjamin Penhallow Shillaber (1814–1890) was known to write under the name Mrs. Ruth Partington to lend credibility to some of his ideas. This is one more possible origin of the word, although there is no specific evidence supporting a connection.

Meanings

1. A person paid to endorse a product while pretending to be impartial.
   • Witnesses have testified that Jim Jones (like a few other professional faith-healers) used shills part of the time […] 1983, Robert Anton Wilson, Prometheus Rising:
   • You’ve Got Mail is certainly the basic model for the plot, which finds corporate candy shill Joel ([Paul] Rudd) and indie-sweetshop owner Molly ([Amy] Poehler) regaling their dinner companions with the very long, digressive story of how they met and fell in love. 2014 June 26, A. A. Dowd, “Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler Spoof Rom-com Clichés in They Came Together”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 07 Dec 2017:
   • carnival barkers and their shills, fleecing the rubes
2. (derogatory) Any person enthusiastically endorsing a product; especially, one who is getting paid for the endorsement.
   • No one but the most delusional sony shill thinks killzone is good. so probably most people on this board 2025 March 21, anonymous author, 4chan, /vr/:
   • kill yourself ai shill and stop fucking spamming the catalog 2023 March 15, anonymous author, 4chan, /ic/:
   • On the screen, there was that quack again, playing the shill for yet another drug company.
   • Meanwhile, an influence operation by Iranian shill accounts began amplifying commentary critical of the war almost immediately after the first US strikes on Iran. 2026 March 31, George Chidi, “Chatter and fear about US military draft emerge as Trump’s Iran war drags on”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
3. An accomplice at a confidence trick during an auction or gambling game, such as an accomplice of the seller who bids to drive up the price.
   • The pitchman swept his cane in a slow acceleration over the heads of the crowd and then suddenly pointed the silver cap toward Billy and the shill. 1994, Cormac McCarthy, The Crossing (The Border Trilogy; 2), New York, N.Y.: Alfred A[braham] Knopf, →ISBN:
   • Sniping is necessary because if you bid before the last minute it just gives the shills more time to screw you over.
   • Near-synonyms: inside man, potted plant (contextually synonymous)
   • When a likely customer walks by, one of the shills says something like, “You've got to play this game. This idiot is giving away money.” 2009, Michael Benson, Cons and Frauds, Infobase, →ISBN, page 21:
4. A house player in a casino.
   • There may even be a casino shill sitting adjacent to you. Normally, the casino shills are gorgeous women, and sometimes men, so enjoy the scenery. 2000, Dennis R. Harrison, Casino Gambling: Your Absolute, Quintessential, All You Wanted to Know ...:

Forms

Coordinates

ringer · hustler · simp

Deriveds

Shillary · shillmon

Relateds

knockout auction

Synonyms

potted plant · inside man · shiller · shillaber · stick

Translations (46)

fi maksettu apuri (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · fi vedättäjä (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · pl słup (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · de Gehilfin des Schaustellers (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · fr compère (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · hu szélhámos segítője/segítőtársa (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · th หน้าม้า (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · de Gehilfe des Hausierers (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · ru соуча́стник (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · ca testaferro (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · yue 打手 (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · el αβανταδόρος (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · it comparsa (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · it compare (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · es entruchón (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · it prestanome (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · ja サクラ (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · es cómplice (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · es palero (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · is leppur (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · es compinche (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · fr homme de paille (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · de Lockvogel (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · ru подставно́е лицо́ (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · sv lockfågel (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · ru подсадна́я у́тка (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · fr prête-nom (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · de Gehilfin des Hausierers (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · fr commère (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · es entruchón (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · es testaferro (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · es calanchín (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · ru соо́бщник (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · th หน้าม้า (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · es hombre de paja (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · de Gehilfe des Schaustellers (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · cmn 水軍 /水军 (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · es testaférrea (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · it uomo di paglia (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · cmn 托兒 /托儿 (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · fr complice (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · fi talonpelaaja ((gambling) a house player in a casino) · ca trafica (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · fr comparse (an accomplice at a confidence trick) · de Anreißer (a person paid to endorse a product favourably) · de Anreißerin (a person paid to endorse a product favourably)

wikipedia: George Shillibeer

shill en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ʃɪl/
• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio

Etymology

Unknown; attested as verb 1914, as noun 1916. Perhaps an abbreviation of shillaber, attested 1913. The word entered English via carny, originally denoting a carnival worker who pretends to be a member of the audience in an attempt to elicit interest in an attraction. Speculatively an extended form of German Schieber (“black marketeer, profiteer”) via *shi-la-ber. There are some suggestions that it originates in the surname Shilaber or Shillibeer, especially George Shillibeer, but proposed origins are dubious as the word is first attested in North America in the 20th century, while proposed models are 19th century British. American humorist Benjamin Penhallow Shillaber (1814–1890) was known to write under the name Mrs. Ruth Partington to lend credibility to some of his ideas. This is one more possible origin of the word, although there is no specific evidence supporting a connection.

Meanings

1. (derogatory, intransitive, transitive) To promote or endorse in return for payment, especially dishonestly; sometimes extended sarcastically even to those not paid but strongly biased in favor.
   • Over the last six months, as A-list celebrities have shilled for digital currencies and NFTs, Mr. McKenzie, a TV actor best known for his starring role in “The O.C.,” has become an outspoken skeptic. 2022 March 31, David Yaffe-Bellany, “Ben McKenzie Would Like a Word With the Crypto Bros”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
   • Today there are even commercials in which real scientists, some of considerable distinction, shill for corporations. They teach that scientists too will lie for money. As Tom Paine warned, inuring us to lies lays the groundwork for many other evils. 1996, Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World:
   • That contractor seems to be shilling for a certain brand of building materials.
   • That contractor seems to be shilling that specific epoxy.

Forms

Translations (51)

fr taire (to put under cover, to sheal) · ca embrollar (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · it trafficare (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · fr enterrer (to put under cover, to sheal) · de Ware anpreisen (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · ca fer trafiques (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · es trapichear (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · fr prévariquer (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · es ocultar (to put under cover, to sheal) · fr étouffer (to put under cover, to sheal) · fr cacher (to put under cover, to sheal) · fi mainostaa (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · fi tyrkyttää (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · es celar (to put under cover, to sheal) · ca celar (to put under cover, to sheal) · fr magouiller (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · ca encobrir (to put under cover, to sheal) · ca prevaricar (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · fr mettre sous le boisseau (to put under cover, to sheal) · ca ocultar (to put under cover, to sheal) · fr passer sous silence (to put under cover, to sheal) · fr tripoter (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · ru впа́ривать (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · es enterrar (to put under cover, to sheal) · fr occulter (to put under cover, to sheal) · it prevaricare (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · ca amagar (to put under cover, to sheal) · ca traficar (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · es embabucar (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · fi peittää (to put under cover, to sheal) · it brogliare (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · ru впа́рить (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · fr couvrir (to put under cover, to sheal) · es tapar (to put under cover, to sheal) · es trapisondear (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · es disimular (to put under cover, to sheal) · es entruchar (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · es encubrir (to put under cover, to sheal) · fr dissimuler (to put under cover, to sheal) · fr faire l'homme de paille (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · ru втю́хивать (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · es embaucar (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · ca fer tripijocs (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · fi tuputtaa (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · ca tapar (to put under cover, to sheal) · ru втю́хать (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · es andar en chanchullos (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · ca cobrir (to put under cover, to sheal) · fr trafiquer (to promote or endorse in return for payment) · fr celer (to put under cover, to sheal) · es prevaricar (to promote or endorse in return for payment)

wikipedia: George Shillibeer

shill en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ʃɪl/
• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio

Meanings

1. To put under cover; to sheal.

Forms

shill en · VERB · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• /ʃɪl/
• (Australia) audio
• (US) audio

Meanings

1. (UK, dialectal, obsolete) To shell.

Forms

Relateds

whore · prostitute · hawk · sell out