Added 1 October 2026
cheat
/ˈt͡ʃiːt/ verb
In Latin: fraudō Wiktionary
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about cheat at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation.
My brother flunked biology because he cheated on his mid-term.
-
To be unfaithful to one's spouse or partner; to commit adultery, or to engage in sexual or romantic conduct with a person other than one's partner in contravention of the rules of society or agreement in the relationship.
My husband cheated on me with his secretary.
-
To avoid a seemingly inevitable thing.
He cheated death when his car collided with a moving train.
noun
noun
Origin
Verb from Middle English achetan, variant of escheten, from Old French escheat, past participle of escheoir, escheoiter, from Late Latin *excadēre (“fall away, fall out”), from (Latin) ex- + cadere (“fall”). Displaced native Old English beswīcan. Noun from verb and/or Middle English chete, aphetic form of achete, escheat, eschete (“the reversion of property to the state”), from Anglo-Norman eschete and Old French eschet, escheit, escheoit (“that which falls to one”), past participle of escheoir (“to fall”) (modern French échoir), from Late Latin *excadēre (“fall away, fall out”), from (Latin) ex- + cadere (“fall”). Doublet of escheat.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)