Trick | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

Trĭck, n.

noun

n. [D. trek, a pull, or drawing, a trick, trekken, to draw, Pr. tric, trickery, O. Fr. tricher, trichier, trecher, to cheat, to trick, Pr. trichar, It. treccare, id. Cf. TREACHER.] 1. Artifice or stratagem; cunning contrivance; a sly procedure, usually with a dishonest intent implied; as, a trick in trade. He comes to me for counsel, and I show him a trick. South. 2. A sly, dexterous, or ingenious procedure fitted to puzzle or amuse; as, a bear’s tricks; a juggler’s tricks; and the like. I know a trick worth two of that. Shak. On one nice trick depends the general fate. Pope.

Mischievous or annoying behavior; as, the tricks of boys.
A particular habit or manner; a peculiarity; a trait; as, a trick of drumming with the fingers, or a trick of frowning.

The trick of that voice I do well remember. Shak. He hath a trick of Cœur de Lion’s face. Shak. 5. (Card-playing.) The whole number of cards played in one round, and consisting of as many cards as there are players. The card which ranks highest in value of those played takes the trick, provided it be of the suit led. Hoyle. 6. (Naut.) The period spent by a sailor at the helm at one time, usually two hours. Totten. Syn.—Stratagem; wile; fraud; cheat; juggle; finesse; sleight; deception; imposture; delusion; imposition.

Trĭck, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. TRICKED (trĭkt); p. pr. & vb. n. TRICKING.] To deceive; to impose on; to defraud; to cheat; as, to trick another in the sale of a horse.

Trĭck, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [Cf. W. treciaw, to furnish, to equip out, trec, an implement, harness, gear.]

Sense 1. To dress; to decorate; to set off; to adorn fantastically; — often followed by up, off, or out. “Trick her off in air.” Pope.

People are lavish in tricking up their children in fine clothes, yet starve their minds. Locke.

They are simple, but majestic, records of the feelings of the poet; as little tricked out for the public eye as his diary would have been. Macaulay.

Sense 2. To draw in outline, as with a pen; to delineate or distinguish without color, as arms, and the like, in heraldry.

They forget that they are in the statutes: . . . there they are tricked, they and their pedigree. B. Jonson.

Trĭck, v. i.

verbintransitive

To live by deception and fraud.

All the world knows him to be sordid, mean, tricking. W. Scott.

Trĭck, n.

noun

n. [Gr. θρίξ, τριχός, hair.] A knot, braid, or plait of hair; a tress. [Obs. and rare.] It stirs me more than all your court-curls, or your spangles, or your tricks. B. Jonson.