cheat

 
Pronunciation: /tʃiːt/

verb

  • 1 [no object] act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage: she always cheats at cards
  • [with object] gain an advantage over or deprive of something by using unfair or deceitful methods; defraud: he had cheated her out of everything she had
  • informal be sexually unfaithful: his wife was cheating on him
  • 2 [with object] avoid (something undesirable) by luck or skill: she cheated death in a spectacular crash

noun

  • a person who behaves dishonestly in order to gain an advantage.
  • an act of cheating; a fraud or deception.
  • [mass noun] a children’s card game, the object of which is to get rid of one’s cards while making declarations about them which may or may not be truthful.

Origin:

late Middle English: shortening of escheat (the original sense)