Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DE-CEIT', n. [Norm. deceut, contracted from L. deceptio. See Deceive.]

1. Literally, a catching or insnaring. Hence, the misleading of a person; the leading of another person to believe what is false, or not to believe what is true, and thus to insnare him; fraud; fallacy; cheat; any declaration, article or practice, which misleads another, or causes him to believe what is false. My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. – Job xxvii.
2. Stratagem; artifice; device intended to mislead. They imagine deceits all the day long. – Ps. xxxviii.
3. In Scripture, that which is obtained by guile, fraud or oppression. Their houses are full of deceit. – Jer. v. Zeph. i.
4. In law, any trick, device, craft, collusion, shift, covin, or underhand practice, used to defraud another. – Cowel.