shill

verb \ ˈshil \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Editor's Note: The Conniving Roots of shill

Definition of shill

shilled; shilling; shills

intransitive verb

1 : to act as a shill

2 : to act as a spokesperson or promoter

the eminent Shakespearean producer … is now shilling for a brokerage house
—Andy Rooney

See shill defined for English-language learners

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Recent Examples of shill from the Web

The work’s title was a metaphor for how the cosmetics industry shills unnecessary products.

— ashley weatherford, The Cut, "Skin Care’s Most Outspoken Founder on Why Sheet Masks Are a Lie," 11 May 2018
Look for Lil Donnie to start posting Insta-stories and shilling athletic wear on his YouTube channel.

— stephen a. crockett jr., The Root, "Cash Me Outside: Vanessa Trump ‘Went Gangster’ on Aubrey O’Day After Learning of Her Alleged Affair With Donald Jr.: Report," 30 Apr. 2018
Willis, who at this point was indistinguishable from his Moonlighting role of David Addison, tries on some smirky repartee with a lukewarm Stone, in the service of shilling a wine cooler.

— dave holmes, Esquire, "David Harbour Became the New Bruce Willis This Week," 8 Feb. 2018
Longtime fans of the Grammy winner might wonder how much KFC paid her for shilling their new product.

— grace schneider, The Courier-Journal, "First female Kentucky Fried Chicken Colonel is ... country music phenom Reba McEntire," 25 Jan. 2018
Ford Times was a house-organ publication that shilled the virtues of owning, not surprisingly, a Ford automobile.

— peter tertzakian, USA TODAY, "Analysis: Are combustion engines reaching peak demand?," 23 Oct. 2017
Even though big-name Democrats are hastening to dump Weinstein’s donations as if the cash were on fire, some progressives are still shilling for the powerful exec.

— alexandra desanctis, National Review, "The Left Stays Largely Silent on Weinstein Scandal," 8 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shill.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Conniving Roots of shill

Professionals licensed to shill won't necessarily knock you dead, but they may not do you any good either. They might simply be pitchmen employed to extol the wonders of legitimate products. But in the early 1900s, when the first uses of the verb shill were documented, it was more likely that anyone hired to shill you was trying to con you into parting with some cash. Practitioners were called shills (that noun also dates from the early 1900s), and they did everything from faking big wins at casinos (to promote gambling) to pretending to buy tickets (to encourage people to see certain shows). Shill is thought to be a shortened form of shillaber, but etymologists have found no definitive evidence of where that longer term originated.