Webster's English Dictionary

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deceive

de.ceive \di-'se-v\ \-'se--vin-le-\ vb [ME deceiven, fr. OF deceivre, fr. L 
   decipere, fr. de-]+ capere to take archaic  1: ENSNARE  obs  2a: to be 
   false to  archaic  2b: to fail to fulfill  obs  3: CHEAT  4: to cause to 
   believe an untruth  archaic  5: to while away  : to practice deceit e 
   imposing of a false idea or belief that causes bewilderment or helplessness 
   or furthers the agent's purpose; MISLEAD stresses a leading astray from the 
   truth usu. by deliberately deceiving; DELUDE and BEGUILE stress the action 
   of the one deceived, DELUDE implying an inability to distinguish between 
   the true and the false, BEGUILE a readiness to be charmed or persuaded by 
   the deceiver - de.ceiv.er n SYN syn MISLEAD, DELUDE, BEGUILE: DECEIVE 
   implies th