guile

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Deceptiveness, deceit, fraud, duplicity, dishonesty.

   Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

2. 2
   verb

   To deceive, beguile, bewile.

   Who means no guile, be guiled soonest shall.

From Middle English gile, from Anglo-Norman gile, from Old French guile (“deception”), from Frankish *wīl (“ruse”), from Proto-Germanic *wīlą, from Proto-Indo-European *wey- (“to turn, bend”). Cognate via Proto-Germanic with wile.

Topics