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Thimblerig

//ˈθɪmbəlɹɪɡ// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A game of skill which requires the bettor to guess under which of three small cups (or thimbles) a pea-sized object has been placed after the party operating the game rapidly rearranges them, providing opportunity for sleight-of-hand trickery; a shell game. countable, uncountable

    "He’ll muddle away the Begum’s fortune at thimble-rig, be caught picking pockets, and finish on board the hulks."

  2. 2
    a swindling sleight-of-hand game; victim guesses which of three things a pellet is under wordnet
  3. 3
    One operating such a game. countable, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To cheat in the thimblerig game. intransitive

    "Old Pratt is a different kind of crook—a psalm-singing, pussyfooted old buccaneer, teaching a Bible class on Sundays and thimblerigging in Wall Street on week days."

  2. 2
    To cheat (someone) by trickery. ambitransitive, figuratively

    "The favor is to you. I do not permit any man to thimblerig his debts to me into my debts to him."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From thimble + rig.

Etymology 2

From thimble + rig.

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