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Origin and history of deceive

deceive(v.)

"mislead by false appearance or statement," c. 1300, from Old French decevoir "to deceive" (12c., Modern French décevoir), from Latin decipere "to ensnare, take in, beguile, cheat," from de "from" or pejorative (see de-) + combining form of capere "to take," from PIE root *kap- "to grasp." Related: Deceived; deceiver; deceiving.

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to deceive

undeceive(v.)

"to free from deception or false belief, open one's eyes" to fallacy or error, 1590s, from un- (2) "opposite of" + deceive (v.). Related: Undeceived (c. 1400); undeceiving; undeceivable (c. 1400, "not false, trustworthy").

undeceived(adj.)

c. 1400, undecevid, "reliable, accurate, certain," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of deceive (v.). The sense of "freed from deception or false belief" is by 1590s, from undeceive (v.). For the differing senses, compare unbend.

We are only undeceived
Of that which, deceiving, could no longer harm. 
[Eliot, "East Coker"]
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betray
early 13c., bitraien, "prove false, violate by unfaithfulness;" c. 1300, "deliver or expose to the power of an enemy by treachery," also "mislead, deceive, delude," from be- + obsolete Middle English tray, from Old French traine "betrayal, deception, deceit," from trair (Modern F
delude
"deceive, impose upon, mislead the mind or judgment of," c. 1400, from Latin deludere "to play false; to mock, deceive," from de- "down, to one's detriment" (see de-) + ludere "to play" (see ludicrous). Related: Deluded; deluding. Mislead means to lead wrong, whether with or wit
calumny
calomnie (15c.), from Latin calumnia "trickery, subterfuge, misrepresentation, malicious charge," from calvi "to trick, deceive...to slander," Old Norse hol "praise, flattery," Old English hol "slander," holian "to betray," Old High German huolen "to deceive...
bluff
1839, "to deceive (opponents), especially by betting heavily and with a confident air on a worthless hand to make them 'fold...The general sense "use a show of confident assurance to deceive an opponent as to one's real resources or strength" is by...
blind
"make blind, deprive of sight," early 13c., from Old English blendan "to blind, deprive of sight; deceive," from Proto-Germanic...German blinden "become blind;" Danish blinde, Gothic gablindjan "make blind"), perhaps, via notion of "to make cloudy, deceive...
lout
According to Watkins this is from PIE *leud- "to lurk" (source also of Gothic luton "to deceive," Old English lot "deceit...Non-Germanic cognates probably include Lithuanian liūdėti "to mourn;" Old Church Slavonic luditi "to deceive," ludu "foolish...
trump
"fabricate, devise," 1690s, from trump "deceive, cheat" (1510s), from Middle English trumpen (late 14c.), from Old French...tromper "to deceive," of uncertain origin....
teach
Old English tæcan (past tense tæhte, past participle tæht) "to show, point out, declare, demonstrate," also "to give instruction, train, assign, direct; warn; persuade," from Proto-Germanic *taikijan "to show" (source also of Old High German zihan, German zeihen "to accuse," Goth
cod
large sea fish, edible and widely distributed in colder seas, mid-14c. (late 13c. in a surname, Thomas cotfich), of unknown origin; despite similarity of form it has no conclusive connection to the widespread Germanic word for "bag" (represented by Old English codd, preserved in
fob
1650s, "men's small waist pocket for valuables," of uncertain origin, probably related to Low German fobke "pocket," High German fuppe "pocket," "a dialectal word used in Livonia" [Klein]. Meaning "chain or ornament attached to a watch carried in the fob" is by 1888, shortened fr

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