Word of the Day

: September 15, 2006

bilk

verb BILK

What It Means

1 : to block the free development of : frustrate

2 a : to cheat out of something valuable : defraud

b : to evade payment of or to

3 : to slip away from

bilk in Context

"I've been bilked of my food rights as a human member of this family!" protested Jason, when he heard the dog had been given the last hamburger.

Did You Know?

Initially, "bilking" wasn't considered cheating-just good strategy for cribbage players. Language historians aren't sure where "bilk" originated, but they have noticed that its earliest uses occur in contexts referring to cribbage. Part of the scoring in cribbage involves each player adding cards from his or her hand to a pile of discards called the "crib." At the end of a hand, the dealer gets any points in the crib. Strategically, then, it's wisest for the dealer's opponent to discard non-scoring cards-the ones most likely to "balk," or put a check on, the dealer's score. Etymologists theorize that "bilk" may have originated as an alteration of that card-game "balk."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.