Emily Dickinson Lexicon

TRICE, n.

A very short time; an instant; a moment. If they get never so great spoil at any time, they waste the same in a trice. – Spenser. A man shall make his fortune in a trice. – Young.

TRICE, v.t. [See TRISE.]

TRI-CEN'NI-AL, a.

Denoting thirty, or what pertains to that number.

TRI-CHOT'O-MOUS, a. [See Trichotomy.]

Divided into three parts, or divided by threes; as, a trichotomous stem. – Martyn.

TRI-CHOT'O-MY, n. [Gr. τριχια, thrice, and τεμνω, to cut or divide.]

Division into three parts. – Watts.

TRICK, n. [D. trek, a pull or drawing, a trick; trekken, to draw, to drag; bedriegen, to cheat; driegen, to tack or baste; G. triegen, to deceive; trug, betrug, fraud, trick; Dan. trekke, a trick; trekker, to draw, to entice; Fr. tricher, to cheat; It. treccare, to cheat; trecca, a huckster; treccia, a lock of hair, from folding, involving, Gr. θριξ, Sp. trica, a quibble; L. tricor, to play tricks, to trifle, to baffle. We see the same root in the Low L. intrico, to fold, and in intrigue. Trick is from drawing, that is, a drawing aside, or a folding, interweaving, implication.]

1. An artifice or stratagem for the purpose of deception; a fraudful contrivance for an evil purpose, or an underhand scheme to impose upon the world; a cheat or cheating. We hear of tricks in bargains, and tricks of state. He comes to me for counsel, and I show him a trick. – South.
2. A dextrous artifice. On one nice trick depends the gen'ral fate. – Pope.
3. Vicious practice; as, the tricks of youth.
4. The sly artifice or legerdemain of a juggler; as, the tricks of a merry Andrew.
5. A collection of cards laid together.
6. An unexpected event. Some trick not worth an egg. [Unusual.] – Shak.
7. A particular habit or manner; as, he has a trick of drumming with his fingers, or a trick of frowning. [This word is in common use in America, and by no means vulgar.]

TRICK, v.i.

To live by deception and fraud. – Dryden.

TRICK, v.t.¹

To deceive; to impose on; to defraud; to cheat; as, to trick another in the sale of a horse.

TRICK, v.t.² [W. treciaw, to furnish or harness, to trick out; trec, an implement, harness, gear, from rhêç, a breaking forth, properly a throwing or extending. This may be a varied application of the foregoing word.]

To dress; to decorate; to set off; to adorn fantastically. Trick her off in air. – Pope. It is often followed by up, off, or out. People are lavish in tricking up their children in fine clothes, yet starve their minds. – Locke.

TRICK'ED, pp.

Cheated; deceived; dressed.

TRICK'ER, or TRICK'STER, n.

One who tricks; a deceiver; a cheat.

TRICK'ER, n.

A trigger. [See Trigger.]

TRICK'ER-Y, n.

The art of dressing up; artifice; stratagem. – Parr. Burke.

TRICK'ING, n.

Dress; ornament. Shak.

TRICK'ING, ppr.

1. Deceiving; cheating; defrauding.
2. Dressing; decorating.

TRICK'ISH, a.

Artful in making bargains; given to deception and cheating; knavish. Pope.

TRICK'ISH-LY, adv.

Artfully; knavishly.

TRICK'LE, v.i. [allied perhaps to Gr. τρεχω, to run, and a diminutive.]

To flow in a small gentle stream; to run down; as, tears trickle down the cheek; water trickles from the eaves. Fast beside there trickled softly down / A gentle stream. Spenser.

TRICK'LING, n.

The act of flowing in a small gentle stream. He wakened by the trickling of his blood. Wiseman.

TRICK'LING, ppr.

Flowing down in a small gentle stream.

TRICK'MENT, n.

Decoration. [Not used.]

TRICK'SY, a. [from trick.]

Pretty; brisk. [Not much used.] Shak.

TRICK'-TRACK, n.

A game at tables.

TRI-CLIN'I-A-RY, a. [L. tricliniaris, from triclinium, a couch to recline on at dinner.]

Pertaining to a couch for dining, or to the ancient mode of reclining at table.

TRI-CLIN'I-UM, n. [L. tres and clino.]

A bed or couch for three to recline or sit upon.